http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/158 Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:37:23 GMT 2026-06-22T14:37:23Z 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. Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/8701 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. Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/8698 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. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/8692 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/8562 SMALLHOLDER FARMERS’ PARTICIPATION IN SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND ITS IMPACT ON CROP PRODUCTION AND FARM INCOME IN SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA Genene Tsegaye Mekonnen; Mengistu Ketema (Prof.); Endrias Geta (PhD); Moti Jaleta (PhD) The heavy dependence of farming communities on agriculture exposes land resources to continuous depletion and ruin. Ethiopia has been implementing sustainable land management (SLM) practices over the last four decades to cope with the problem. Exploring the socioeconomic, institutional, biophysical, and policy aspects contributing to the sustainability and effectiveness of land management practices is of paramount importance. This study analyzed farmers’ participation decisions and intensity of participation, and examined socioeconomic, institutional, biophysical, and policy factors that influenced their perceptions of SLM practices and preferred choices at a household level. It also evaluated the impacts of participation in SLM on the value of crop production and farm income. Cross-sectional data were collected in 2020/21 from 475 households drawn randomly from 6 woredas and 12 kebeles. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and econometrics models namely ordered probit, truncated double hurdle, multivariate probit model, propensity score matching technique, and endogenous switching regression model. The ordered probit model result revealed that education, cultivated land, training, land market, biophysical attributes of plot, and policy factors (land certificate, community bylaws, and incentives) influenced farmers' perception of SLM practices. The truncated double hurdle model result revealed that gender, social network, perception, land size, extension service, farm location, fertility status, slope gradient, and soil erosion showed a significant association in influencing the SLM participation decision. At the same time, non-farm income, value of crop production, and land market have reduced the participation decision. The second hurdle result also showed that farm size, value of crop production, training, distance of road, and community bylaws show a significant effect on farmers’ decision to allocate more proportion of farmland (intensity) to implement land management practices. Furthermore, the multivariate probit model result indicated that gender, education, cultivated land size, livestock holding, farm income, crop choice, institutional, and biophysical farm plot attributes affect SLM choices. The analysis further showed that five of the SLM practices combinations, namely fanya juu with soil bund, bench terrace and indigenous measure, and soil bund with bench terrace and the indigenous practices were applied jointly as complementary practices, while bench terrace with indigenous conservation measures has trade-off effect to be applied as a remedy to reduce soil erosion threat. The predicted marginal probability showed that a soil bund with a bench terrace was found to be the highest combination (i.e. 67.6%) and the lowest with indigenous conservation measures (26.9%).The propensity score matching estimator disclosed that farm plots that received SLM practices for continuous five years experienced 40.8% significant increments in the value of crop produced. Furthermore, the endogenous switching regression method disclosed that farmers who used SLM practices but they had not applied the measures to mitigate land degradation and soil erosion decreased the value of crop production and farm income by 27.2% and 73.9%, respectively. The study strengths that development programs and policy initiatives should depend on implementing physical structures, pay attention to the non-monetary aspects of farmers’ perceptions, participation decisions, and SLM choices within the context of their endowed socioeconomic, institutional, biophysical, and policy factors. Based on the impact finding, this paper concluded that it is also very crucial to train and advice farmers to promote and scaling of area-specific SLM practices that maximize social and economic benefits via policy measurement 233p. Sun, 01 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.haramaya.edu.et//hru/handle/123456789/8562 2024-09-01T00:00:00Z