http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/156 Sun, 07 Jun 2026 21:35:04 GMT 2026-06-07T21:35:04Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/8567 IMPACT OF CLUSTER FARMING ON THE TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF MAIZE PRODUCERS IN SILTI DISTRICT, SILTIE ZONE, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA REGION Haider Abdo Nurye; Dr. Million Sileshi; Dr. Sime Shiferaw Ethiopian agriculture is largely characterized by small-scale subsistence farming. Maize is one of the main crops in Ethiopia. However, the average yield in Ethiopia is much lower than the global average. To improve this, cluster farming has introduced to transition of farmers from subsistence to marker oriented. Even through various cluster farming schemes are growing the study that shown, the effects of cluster farming on maize technical efficiency are still limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the technical efficiency level of sample households, identify factors affecting farmers' participation in maize cluster farming and its impact on maize technical efficiency in the Silti district, Central Ethiopia. The study was based on primary data collected from 304 respondents selected through multistage sampling procedure, of which 153 were cluster participants and 151 were non-participants. Additionally, secondary data was obtained from various sources. For analysis, both descriptive statistics and econometric models such as Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier and endogenous switching regressions were employed. The cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier model result showed that labor, fertilizers, chemicals, land size, and oxen-power were significant factors that determine the efficiency level of maize production. The average TE of the sample households was 74.2% and cluster participants had higher mean technical efficiency (82%) than non-participants (66%). The first stage ESR model results show that age, sex, educational level, land size, extension contact, access of information and access of training positively affected the probability of participation while distance from the nearest market was negatively affected. The results from the average treatment effect on the treated indicate that farmers who participated in maize cluster farming had 34.4% more TE compared with counterfactual. For nonparticipants, the treatment effect would increase by 19.7% if they had chosen to participate in maize cluster farming. The findings suggest that promoting cluster farming can be effective strategy to enhance the TE of smallholder maize producers. Thus, government and NGOs should focus on addressing the factors that influence participation in cluster farming. 104p. Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/8567 2024-12-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/5682 ADOPTION AND IMPACT OF IMPROVED MAIZE VARIETIES ON MAIZE PRODUCTIVITY AND FOOD INSECURITY IN AMURU DISTRICT OF HORO GUDURU WOLLEGA, ETHIOPIA Gemechis Merga Dorsis; Million Sileshi (PhD); Fresenbet Zeleke (PhD) Government policy strategies, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), are aimed at increasing agricultural productivity, which could lead to improved household food security and increased farm income. In Ethiopia, the situation is similar. Hence, understanding smallholder farmers' low and variable crop yields has been a central research and policy priority in addressing food security. This study, therefore, aims at assessing adoption and impact of improved maize varieties on maize productivity and food insecurity in Amuru district of Horo Guduru Wollega, Ethiopia. The study utilized cross-sectional household level data collected in 2020/2021 from 263 randomly selected sample households. Both descriptive and econometric methods were used to analyze the data. According to the results of descriptive statistics of continues explanatory variables, there was a statistically significant difference in age of household head, education of household head, size of farm land, family size, livestock owned and market distance between adopters and non-adopters of IMVs. Likewise, the results of discrete independent variables show that sex of household head, information from government agent, and information from farmers association, access to credit and access to training was statistically significant association with adoption of IMVs. The results of the probit model show that adoption of the improved maize varieties among households was found to be positively influenced by education level of the household head, total livestock owned, access to credit, access to training, farm size, access to information from extension agent and access to information from farmers association whereas family size and market distance influenced adoption negatively. Moreover, the results obtained from the endogenous treatment effect model indicated that the adoption of IMVs not only generated a significantly positive impact on household calorie intake and net crop value, but it also reduced food insecurity. The results from this study revealed that IMVs adoptions significantly contribute to the economic and social development of smallholder farmers by improving average calorie intake and net crop values as well as by reducing food insecurity. Therefore, it is recommended that governments and non-governmental organizations should encourage the adoption of improved maize varieties on a wider scale to increase maize production and reduce food insecurity in rural households. This is critical in realizing the IMVs potential among maize producers in the study area. 110 Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/5682 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/5464 IMPACTS OF ADOPTION OF CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES ON RURAL FARM HOUSEHOLDS’ FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY IN EAST HARARGE ZONE OF OROMIA REGINAL STATE, ETHIOPIA BEYAN AHMED YUYA Analysts and policymakers will benefit from information on climate-smart agriculture and adaptation impacts and challenges to the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices, to the extent that climate change continue to conflict with people's livelihoods. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of climate-smart agricultural practices on the food and nutrition security of rural households. All of the necessary information for the study was gathered from primary and secondary data sources in accordance with the identified objectives. Primary data were gathered from 461 sample respondents. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and econometric models were used. The logit, ordered logit, multinomial models were used for data anlaysis. Multinomial endogenous switching and Inverse probability weighting method of generalized propensity score method were applied to analyze the impact of improved practices on rural household food and nutrition security. Estimated results show that the probability of adopting climate smart agricultural practices is significantly influenced by gender, education level, extension contact, livestock holding, cooperatives, market information, soil fertility status, slopes of farm land, training on land management, climate change information, access to training, perception of land degradation, climate change perception and weather road distance.The logistic regression model result stated that food security status is significantly influenced by age, education, social status, soil fertility, training, land management training, livestock holding, and climate change information. The ordered logit results indicated that the household level nutritional status is significantly influenced by age, cooperative, education, market information, soil fertility, livestock holding, and all weather road distance. Impact evaluation result indicated that adopting low levels of climate smart agricultural practices increases farm households’ food and nutrition security statuses by 28% and 4.3%. Adopting the medium indicators of climate smart practices increases food and nutrition security status by 43% and 20% respectively. Whereas adopting high and higher extents of climate smart agricultural practices increases food and nutrition security statuses by 56% and 19% and 61% and 41% over that of very low adopter households respectively. Furthermore, the GPS impact evaluation results indicated that at 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1 treatment level in the numbers of adopted climate-smart practices the farm household food security status increases by 47, 72% and 86% respectively and significant at 1% probability level. Likewise, at treatment level of 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1 in the number of adopted climate smart practices, 214 Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/5464 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/5047 RURAL HOUSEHOLDS’ WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR IMPROVED POTABLE WATER SUPPLY IN DUGDA DISTRICT, OROMIA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA Getinet, Shimeles Access to improved water is one of the most essential factors for enabling sustainable economic development. However, access to improved drinking water remains to be the problem faced by most of the rural communities of Ethiopia. To improve this situation the extent to which the community participates in the form of WTP for the proposed improvement in the water supply problems is very crucial for the realization of the improvements. Hence, this study examines the rural households’ WTP for improved potable water supply using the application of the contingent valuation method. The double bounded dichotomous choice followed by an open-ended question was used to elicit households’ WTP. A cross-sectional data collected from a randomly selected 272 sample households were analyzed using descriptive statistics and an econometric model. The SUBP econometric model was employed to identify factors affecting household WTP and to estimate the mean WTP. The result of the SUBP model indicated that sex of the respondent, annual farm income, off-farm income, the average time taken to fetch water, use of water treatment techniques and monthly water expenditure have a positive and significant effect on households’ WTP for improved water supply. However, the variables of household size, perception of the quality of the existing water, reliability of the existing water supply and bid values have a negative and significant effect on households’ WTP for improved water supply. The mean WTP for improved potable water supply obtained from the double-bound dichotomous choice and open-ended questions were 1.80 ETB and 1.37 ETB per 20liter of Jerrican, respectively. The result indicates that rural households are willing to pay from 5.6% to 7.4% of their average income. The aggregate values from the improved water supply were 98118.62 ETB and 74679.17 ETB calculated from double bounded dichotomous choice and open-ended questions, respectively. Hence, there is a greater potential to secure financial sustainability and cost recovery of rural water supplies by introducing a new water tariff structure and due consideration given to household’s characteristics in the level of rural water supply improvements. 110 Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/5047 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z