Constraints of Onion (Alluim cepa.Var.cepa L.) Yield Production and Food Preference to Shallot (Alluim cepa.Var.aggregatum) in the Case of Bibugn Woreda, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

This study was conducted with the main objective of assessing the constraints of onion bulb production and its food preference to shallot at Bibugn Woreda, east Gojjam zone in Ethiopia. The relevant data were generated from both primary and secondary data sources. Sample rural farmer survey, field observation, related and relevant experts and officials’ interview were the major means of generating data. Secondary data were also obtained from relevant organizations document and journal articles. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques were employed to analyze the data. The collected data was analyzed using Microsoft office Excel.  The findings of the study revealed that the cultivation system of onion at the Bibugn Woreda (District) is both irrigation and rain fed with major cultivation system being irrigation. The major constraint of onion production is low water accessibility and disease occurrence. 98 % of both onion and shallot consumers prefer onion to shallot with regards to the food flavouring quality in the study area. So, rural farmers and Woreda Agriculture Office should take controlling and protection measure of onion disease either through supplying disease resistance varieties or improving cultural practices. However, the area could be suitable for onion production as far as such constraints are avoided or reduced. Chemical analysis of onion and shallot bulbs should be identified so as to recognize the case of their flavouring variability for food preference of onion. Keywords: onion, shallot, food preference, Ethiopi

Access to improved water source and satisfaction with services: Evidence from rural Ethiopia

In recent years access to safe and reliable water supplies has received increased government attention in Ethiopia. As a result, the national coverage rate for this service has gradually improved. Yet millions of people in rural areas still do not get drinking water from an improved water source. While expanding improved water source schemes is generally essential, it is equally important to ensure that the schemes have increased users' satisfaction with water quality and availability for everyday use. Using household survey data and employing univariate and bivariate probit models, this paper attempts to investigate the effect of access to an improved water source on users' satisfaction with both quality and availability of water. The study findings suggest that access to an improved water source significantly raised household satisfaction with both quality and availability of water. However, the effect of the improved water source on users' satisfaction was slightly lower for water availability than for water quality.drinking water, users' satisfaction, bivariate probit,

Exploring the practices and contextual factors in teaching writing skills in EFL classrooms: a case study

This study explored four experienced teachers’ practices and challenges in teaching writing in English as a foreign language (EFL) in a secondary school in Ethiopia. While a single secondary school was selected based on a convenient sampling technique, four EFL teachers were selected using a purposive sampling technique. The data were collected using classroom observations, stimulated recall interviews, and course document analysis and were analyzed thematically. The findings of the study revealed that the teachers employed a product-oriented approach with a focus on rhetorical features and patterns about different types of texts. Large class sizes, lack of students’ language proficiency, lack of teachers’ pedagogical competence in teaching writing, and insufficiency of instructional time to develop drafts were found to impede teachers’ classroom practices in the study context. Based on the findings, it was recommended that teachers should assist students to do their writing outside the classroom ahead of each writing lesson so that they can use the lesson time for productive learning tasks. Besides, the Ministry of Education should spread systems to offer on-job training regarding up-to-date and innovative ways of teaching writing skills

Compact Composition Operators on the Hardyand Bergman Spaces

The thesis consists of three pieces of results on compact composition operators on the Hardy and Bergman spaces. In the first part, chapter 2, we re-formulate Lotto's conjecture on the weighted Bergman space [Special characters omitted.] ,(-1 < α < ∞), setting. We used the result of D. H. Luecking and K. H. Zhu (1992) to extend Zhu's solution (on the Hardy space H 2 ) to the weighted Bergman space [Special characters omitted.] . The results of this chapter has been published in Tadesse (2004).In the second part of the thesis, chapter 3, we investigate compact composition operators which are not Hilbert-Schmidt. We consider the class of examples (see B. Lotto (1998)) of composition operators C [straight phi] whose symbol [straight phi] is a Riemann map from the unit disk D onto the semi-disk with center (½, 0), radius ½ and, in general, onto a "crescent" shaped regions constructed based on this semi-disk (see also B. Lotto (1998)) We use the R. Riedel (1994) characterization of β-boundedness/compactness on H 2 to determine the range of values of β ∈ [Special characters omitted.] for which C [straight phi] is β-bounded/compact. Similar result also extends to composition operators acting on the weighted Bergman spaces [Special characters omitted.] (α ≥ -1) based on W.Smith (2003) characterization of β-boundednes/compactness on these spaces. In particular, we show that the class of Riemann maps under consideration gives example(s) of β-bounded composition operators C [straight phi] which fail to be β compact (0 < β < ∞) This was an open question raised by Hunziker and Jarchaw (1991)(Section 5.2). Our second result arises from our attempt to generalize these observations to relate Hilbert-Schmidt classes with β-bounded/compact operators. We prove a necessary condition for C [straight phi] to be Hilbert-Schmidt in terms of β-boundedness. Extending this result to the Schatten classes, we proved a necessary condition relating β-bounded composition operators with those that belong to the Schatten ideals. The results of this chapter has been presented at the January 2005 AMS joint meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, and they are under preparation for publication.In the last part of the thesis, Chapter 4, we characterized compact composition operators on the Hardy-Smirnov spaces over a simply connected domain. In the end, we gave an explicit example demonstrating the main results of this chapter for a simple geometry where an explicit and simplified expression for the Riemann map is known. The results of this chapter has been presented at the January 2006 AMS joint meeting in San Antonio, Texas, at the Analysis conference in honor of Prof. Vladmir Gurariy at Kent State University and it is also under preparation for publication

Determinants of financial performance: a study on selected micro finance institutions in Ethiopia

Microfinance promises to reduce poverty. To achieve this amazing objective Microfinance institutions have to become strong enough in financial performance because donor constancy is not a given. Thus the question is: In what extent the MFI-specific, industry-specific and macroeconomic factors determinants the Ethiopian micro finance industry financial performance from the period 2003-2011.By using OLS estimation method to measure the effect of internal and external determinants on financial performance in terms of return on asset. The study was based on a nine years secondary data obtained from AEMFI performance analysis report and MOFAD for thirteen (13) selected MFIs in Ethiopia. Beside this the study used primary data analysis to solicit mangers perception towards the determinants of financial performance of MFIs in Ethiopia. Regarding the explanatory variables, operational efficiency, GDP and size of MFIs affect MFIs financial performance significantly. The outcome of the study shows that Age of microfinance institutions has a positive but statistically insignificant effect on their financial performance. The other explanatory variables which is Portfolio at risk>30, Gearing ratio, capital to asset ratio and Market concentration affect negatively and not significant.The Ethiopian MFIs policy makers and managers should give high concern to the credit risk management, expense management and large MFIs size management and also the government and policy makers should work combining both poverty reduction and financial self- sufficiency of MFIs. And also MFIs have to emulate profit-making banking practices by implementing a sound financial management and good managerial governance to assure their financial performance and in the long run financial sustainability. Key words, financial performance, Micro finance institutionJimma Universit

Enhancing Access and Adoption of Improved Seed for Food Security of Ethiopia (A Review)

Increasing agricultural productivity is central to accelerate economic growth and improving the wellbeing of both rural and urban people in Ethiopia. Agriculture, particularly crop production, has a greater effect on both the rural and the urban poor who spend more than a half of their incomes on food. Therefore, generation and transfer of improved technologies are critical prerequisites for agricultural development particularly for an agrarian based economy such as of Ethiopian. Seed, especially that of improved varieties, are among the most important productive inputs which can take the lion`s share from other agricultural inputs in affecting productivity, livelihood and assuring food security in Ethiopia. The direct contribution of quality seed alone to the total production is estimated at 15 –20% depending upon the crop and it can be further raised up to 45% with efficient management of the other inputs. Despite the importance of improved seed in increasing crop productivity, their availability on the required amount, quality and time is still limited in Ethiopia. The unavailability of quality seed at the right place and time coupled with the poor promotion system is one key factor accounting for the limited use of improved seed, which further contributing to low crop productivity. Therefore, in order to access quality seed at the required time and amount to the farmers and increase the adoption of improved seed, there is a need to have a robust seed system which can strictly control seed outlets and a strong seed-related extension program. The present paper reviews about enhancing access and adoption of improved seeds for better food security in Ethiopia. Keywords: Adoption, food security, improved seed, seed access DOI: 10.7176/DCS/13-3-02 Publication date:March 31st 202

Determinants of Small-Scale Irrigation Utilization by Smallholder Farmers’ in Rift Valley Basin, Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia

The objectives of the study were to identify factors that determine household’s participation decision on small-scale irrigation and to assess the constraints for the development and management of irrigation schemes in the study area. In this study multi-stage sampling techniques were used to select 150 target respondents in which 90 irrigation users and 60 non-irrigation user. To collect the required data several methods like interview schedule, focus group discussions and key informant interview were used. Various documents were reviewed to collect the secondary data. To analyze the data, binary logit model was used to identify the determinants of small-scale irrigation utilization. The findings of the study revealed that among the sixteen explanatory variables entered into the model, eight of them were found to be statistically significant. These variables include total income of the household, conflict over irrigation water utilization, training and technical advice, education status of household head, farm size, financial constraint, proportion of irrigated land size, and access to market information. Most of the coefficients of these variables exhibited the expected signs with the hypothesis. Besides, different constraints related with poor technology choice, conflicts in water use and use rights, lack of market access, lack of training on irrigation technologies, lack of irrigation structure maintenance, absence of government support, and poor linkage between research and extension services in the area of irrigation water management and development were forwarded by the participants. Therefore, to alleviate these problems and improve small-scale irrigation utilization, woreda agricultural and rural development office and other concerned bodies should attempt to address those factors that hinder small-scale irrigation utilization in the study area. Keywords: Binary logit model, Determinants, Small-scale irrigation, Smallholder farme