http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/1 2026-09-07T15:22:30Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/8705 Effect of The Inclusion of Thyme (Thymus schimperi. R.) Leaves as Feed Additives on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality of Hararghe Highland Sheep, and Consumers’ Perception of Hararghe Highland Sheep Mutton in Meta Woreda, East Hararghe Zone Daba Galata, Raya; i Gadissa (PhD), Silesh; Urge (Professor, Mengistu This study was conducted at Haramaya University, a goat farm, and Meta Woreda in the East Hararghe Zone to evaluate the effect of thyme (Thymus schimperi R.) leaves as feed additives on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of Hararghe Highland Sheep (HHS) and assess consumer perceptions of sheep mutton consumption trends in Meta Woreda. Eighteen finishing rams with an average initial body weight of 23.13 ± 0.02 kg were purchased from local markets. The experimental design utilized was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with six replications, where the animals were blocked according to their initial body weight and randomly assigned to three dietary treatment groups: T1 (0 g thyme), T2 (100 g thyme), and T3 (200 g thyme). Each treatment consisted of concentrate mixtures formulated from wheat bran, noug seed cake, table salt, and vitamin and mineral premixes provided at 2.5% of the rams' body weight on a dry matter basis, with pasture grass hay offered ad libitum. The digestibility trial was carried out for 7 days, followed by a feeding trial of 60 days and carcass evaluation. The feed offered and refusals were recorded for each animal during both the digestion and feeding trials, whereas feces voided during the digestibility trial were recorded daily. The body weight changes of the animals during the feeding trial were recorded within a ten-day interval. Compared with those fed the control diet (T1), the rams fed diets containing 100 and 200 grams of dried thyme leaf (DTL) as a feed additive exhibited larger average DM, OM, CP, NDF, ADF, and ADL intakes. On the other hand, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the DM digestibility coefficient among the treatments, indicating that rams fed T2 had the highest digestible DM and OM coefficients (82.0 vs 80.4%) compared with those in T3 (79.9 vs 77.3%) and T1 (70.1 vs 67.3%), respectively. These findings suggest that the T2 diet is more effective at improving the digestibility of dry matter in the diet. Similarly, Hararghe Highland rams fed T2 (100 g DTL) supplemented with the concentrate mixture had shown the highest FBW, ADG, and FCE. The mean slaughter body weight (SBW), empty body weight (EBW), hot carcass weight (HCW), dressing percentage based on SBW and EBW, rib-eye muscle area, total edible proportion (TEP), and total usable products were significantly higher (P<0.05) for dried thyme leaf-supplemented rams than for the control diet. In addition, the inclusion of DTL as a natural feed additive in the diets of HH rams had enhanced meat color, water holding capacity, flavor, juiciness and tenderness, and chemical composition compared with those of the control diet. xviii Finally, the survey assessment conducted on perceptions of consuming sheep meat in Meta Woreda indicated that majority of the respondents (54.2% and 33.3%) said that they rarely eat mutton during religious holidays and wedding ceremonies, respectively. The major reason for the rare consumption of sheep meat was the bad smell of the meat (100%) due to the inherent excess fat content of the sheep (50%) and the feed source (33.3%). Moreover, the major mechanisms for alleviating its bad smell were washing live animal skin ahead of slaughtering (40.8%), hot carcass spicing (30.0%), and the application of a special cooking method (29.2%). Thus, from the results of this study, it was concluded that the inclusion of DTL at 100 g per day in the diet of finishing HH rams is optimal for enhancing feed intake, nutrient utilization efficiency, growth, carcass yield, and physical, chemical, and meat eating quality parameters. In addition, proper sheep feeding management and consumers’ perception improving training are essential to enhance sheep meat consumption habit in the study area. 87 2024-12-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/8701 PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY, ADOPTION, AND IMPACT OF WHEAT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY PACKAGES ON SMALLHOLDER FARMERS' FOOD SECURITY AND INCOME IN HORO GUDURU WOLLEGA ZONE, OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA Oliyad Sori Zenbaba; Mengistu Ketema (Professor, ); Moti Jaleta (PhD); Kedir Jemal (PhD) Ethiopia. However, its production is inefficient, and its technology packages adoption and contributions to households’ food security and income are low in the country. This study is aimed at examining production efficiency, adoption, and impact of wheat production technology packages on smallholder farmers’ food security and income in the study area. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select a representative sample and the survey data were collected from a randomly selected 302 sample households proportional to size at each sample unit. Data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics and econometric models. Parametric stochastic frontier models of Cobb- Douglas type production and cost functions revealed that the mean technical, allocative, and economic efficiencies of wheat production were 0.810, 0.881 and 0.714, respectively. The Tobit model results of determinants of efficiency differentials (technical, allocative, and economic efficiencies) revealed that education level positively and significantly and farm size negatively and significantly influenced all efficiency differentials. Soil fertility status and use of improved seed had a positive and significant effect on the technical and economic efficiency of wheat production, while farm distance negatively and significantly influenced. Family size positively and significantly affected allocative and economic efficiency, while the technical efficiency of wheat production is positively and significantly affected by the number of livestock owned. The adoption intensity of wheat technology packages was analyzed by using a two-limit Tobit model and results show that education level of household, access and purchase of improved seed, livestock owned, farm training, annual farm income and access to off/non-farm income had positive and significant effect, while distance from the nearest market had a negative and significant effect. The multinomial logit modelresults revealed that households’ decisions to adopt wheat technology package combinations are significantly influenced by sex, education level of household head, distance to nearest market farm areas and training centers, ownership of telephone devices, agricultural cooperative membership farm size, livestock, and landholding size. The multinomial endogenous switching regression model results indicate that adoption of full recommended wheat technology packages has a greater positive impact of 21.71%, 11.31% and 3.38% on households’ food consumption score, dietary diversity score and wheat production income, respectively. The findings of the study contribute for the National Wheat Flagship Program of wheat self-sufficiency for better food security, sustained livelihood outcomes and import substitution. Therefore, agricultural policymakers, development organizations, and qualified agricultural practitioners should engage in the improvement of wheat production efficiencies and full technology packages adoption through timely supplying improved seed and solving its access barriers, usage of recommended types and amounts of inputs, improving financial services and strengthening the extension workers’ role for advising and training farmers, strengthening adult literacy programs and farm input-oriented institutions 186p. 2025-06-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/8698 DETERMINANTS OF RURAL HOUSEHOLDS’ POVERTY IN SHEIKH DISTRICT OF SAHIL REGION, SOMALILAND Mona Ahmed Suleiman; Mohammed Aman (Ass. Prof.); Kedir Jemal (PhD) Poverty remains a critical global issue, but despite extensive research at national and regional levels, there is a lack of micro-level, district-specific studies on rural poverty in areas like Sheikh District, Somaliland. This study analyzes rural poverty levels in Sheikh District, Sahil Region of Somaliland. It focuses on poverty incidence, depth, severity, and its key determinants. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 200 households in Sheikh District, with four Tuulos randomly selected from the district's 43 agro-pastoral Tuulos. The study utilized both primary and secondary data. Primary data were gathered through household surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and direct field observations, while secondary data were obtained from published and unpublished sources, including government reports, international NGOs, regional studies, and existing surveys. Descriptive, inferential, and econometric models were employed to analyze cross-sectional data collected from the region. The Foster-GreerThorbecke (FGT) index was used to measure rural poverty level of households, while a logit model was used to identify the main drivers of rural poverty level. The FGT analysis found that 46.5% of the households live below the poverty line, 26.65% experience significant poverty gaps, and 16.27% show high poverty intensity. The logit econometric model result indicates that access to education, household size in terms of adult equivalent ration, off-farm income, total livestock units (TLU), and on-farm income are crucial factors influencing household level poverty. Education of household head, TLU, off-farm, and on-farm income reduce probability being poor (poverty level), while larger household size increases being poor. Total livestock units (TLU), household size in terms of adult equivalent ration, and on-farm income were significant factors affecting rural household poverty at 1% level of precision whereas education level is significant at 5% level of precision. Off-farm income was less significantly affecting rural household poverty at 10% level of precision. The study recommends improving education, diversifying income sources, and enhancing livestock management, o improve rural household income and reduce poverty level in the study area. 83p. 2025-04-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/8692 TOMATO MARKET CHAIN AND POSTHARVEST LOSS IN ADEA DISTRICT, EAST SHEWA ZONE, OROMIA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA Hanna Tegegne Sishaw; Million Sileshi (PhD); Abebaw Shimelis (PhD Postharvest loss poses a significant challenge to tomato producers and market chain actors in Adea district, necessitating a thorough assessment to identify areas for intervention. By employing a combination of primary data from 171 tomato-producing households and a sample of 32 traders including, 5 wholesalers, 14 retailers, 5 collectors and 8 consumers from two kebeles namely Godino and K’at’ila, along with both descriptive and econometric models, the study revealed critical insights. Results showed seven distinct market channels, with producers earning the highest profit when selling directly to wholesalers. The highest total gross marketing margin occurred in channels with multiple intermediaries. Postharvest loss averaged 47.02 quintals per hectare, with transportation being the leading cause (30.48%), followed by packaging, handling, storage, grading, and loading. Retailers experienced the highest losses (28.35%) due to frequent handling, poor packaging, and exposure to unsuitable conditions like heat and humidity. Collectors experienced moderate postharvest losses (12.76%), primarily resulting from inadequate packaging, transportation, and storage conditions. In contrast, wholesalers had the lowest losses (5.28%) due to better bulk handling and storage practices. Furthermore, robust multiple linear regression analysis identified explanatory variables such as credit, extension contact, insect pest infestations/rodents, farm size and distance to main road affected postharvest loss of tomato. By enhancing financial inclusion, training in postharvest management and handling techniques to reduce insect pest infestations and investing in infrastructure, policymakers can develop targeted interventions that substantially reduce losses, boost productivity and strengthen food security 98p. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z