This article presents average agricultural yield data per hectare for key cereal, legume and root crops from 2001 until 2017. Data was obtained from the annual Agricultural Sample Surveys of the Central Statistics Agency (CSA) of Ethiopia. We present data at national, regional (SNNPRS) and zonal (Wolaita) levels. The data shows that average yields for all crops, at all levels, show increasing trends during the time period. Data for the main cereal crops is consistent and aligns with literature relatively well, however we raise questions about the root crop data in an effort to encourage greater critical reflection of components of data from the CSA.

Possible long term effects on soil salinity and crop production due to the quality of water and irrigation practices is assessed in an area in Gergera Watershed in Atsbi-Wonberta, Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Ten water samples collected from hand-dug wells and small household ponds, and thirty soil samples from different depths up to ~100cm were tested for various parameters such as TDS, pH, anions and cations.Data indicate that both water and soil in terms of quality are acceptable for irrigation purposes. However, at present the soil salinity is not a serious issue but the data suggests its possible increase with time as indicated by two samples. Some of the issues such as use of sprinklers, organic manure, blending, seasonal crops are discussed in the light of maintaining the required quality, proper utilization of soil and water resources, and for sustainable development.

There are common narratives about economic growth in Ethiopia. We analyze four common narratives, namely, that (1) the economy is transforming from agriculture to industry, (2) that national economic growth has been rapid and sustained, (3) that Ethiopia’s economy is largely agricultural, and (4) that there is a looming debt crisis, largely due to lending from China. In many instances, the justification for these narratives is based upon single years or specific data points. We examine these narratives over the long term, to assess if they are supported by available macroeconomic data. In doing so, we encountered significant issues with data quality and consistency. This article presents the available datasets from 1999 to 2017 and concludes that the commonly made claims about the Ethiopian economy are sometimes accurate, sometimes incomplete, and other times inaccurate. We call for greater attention to primary data, and primary datasets, as opposed to relying upon secondary summaries, single years, or specific data points to make generalized claims.

For more than four decades, researchers have analysed the poverty dynamics in Ethiopia from an economic point of view. This study adopted a political economy approach to analyse the poverty dynamics in the post-1991 period. It aims to provide insight into the root causes and dynamics of poverty from a political economy perspective. The empirical data were collected from eight rural localities in Debere Brehan, the Gamo highlands and Jimma. Research methods included interviews, surveys and focus group discussions. The findings reveal that the powerlessness of peasants vis-à-vis the state and the failure of agrarian transformation are aggravating the extent of rural poverty.