Trends in Production, Productivity and Marketing of Major Food and Cash Crops in Coffee Growing Zones of Ethiopia

Select Volume / Issue:

• Volume 4, Issue 4, July 2017

Year:

2017

Type of Publication:

Article

Keywords:

Crop, Household Income, Livelihood, Productivity

Authors:

Hailu, Mekonnen; Kelemu, Kaleb

Journal:

IJRAS

Volume:

4

Number:

4

Pages:

186-191

Month:

July

ISSN:

2348-3997

Note:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Abstract:

The sound performance of agriculture warrants the availability of food crops. This accomplishment in agriculture does not only signify the adequate acquisition of food crops to attain food security, but also heralds a positive aspect of the economy. In regard to this, collective efforts are being geared to securing agricultural outputs of the desired level so that self reliance in food supply can be achieved and disaster caused by food shortages can be contained in the shortest possible time in Ethiopia. Towards this end the effort being exerted by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to improve the production and productivity of major food and cash crops is very crucial element of transforming the Ethiopian agriculture thereby enhancing the livelihood of smallholder farmers in the country. This study was conducted in major coffee growing livelihood zones to assess the trends of production and productivity of the major food and cash crops being grown by farmers in coffee growing zones of the country with a view to analyze the market potential and price trends of the major crops was conducted. Key-informant interviews were also held with staffs of district agriculture office and traders. Checklists and various formats to collect price and production and productivity related data from CSA as well as from studied districts. Reviews of secondary sources were also used to capture relevant data and information for the study. The study reveals that during the last four years, the average total production of maize in the studied coffee based livelihood zones has increased by more than 45%. Similarly during the same period, the average total production of Sorghum in these livelihood zones has increased by 23%. The fluctuations or changes in the price of the major food crops within a year, their average prices (Maize, sorghum and Ethiopian Cabbage) during the last three years have demonstrated increasing trend. The study also identifies in aggregate, the price of maize taking the average of prices in all the markets has increased by 46%

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