Assessment of Operating and Financial Performance of Privatized Firms in Ethiopia: a Case Study on Dill Edible Oil Factory

The study describes the financial and operating performance of Dill Edible Oil Factory by making a comparison of its performance before and after privatization. The study sought to determine whether privatization is truly desirable in Ethiopia and whether the performance of privatized firms lives up to the expectation of government and development agencies. In particular. it tried to determine whether privatized firms increased their profitability, their operating efficiency, their capital expenditure, and their out put. It also examined the effect of privatization on employment, capital structure and dividend policy. To this end, the study compared the performance indicators of Dill Edible Oil Factory for the three year before privatization and the three years after privatization. The study used documentary and unstructured interviews for data collection.Jimma Universit

Review on Yield Gap Analysis: Modeling of Achievable Yields at Farm Level

In the present context, ‘model’ is expressed as a computer program that can be repeatedly run several times for computing several designed mathematical or statistical expressions (equations) governing crop growth-environment relations, given appropriate input data. The experiment station yields obtained under a rainfed situation without any nutrient deficiency mostly considered as the potential yields of rainfed crops. Actual yields are obtained by recording crop yields of farmers in the region under investigation and achievable yield is between actual and potential yield. Actual yields are compared with the potential yields to estimate yield gaps of crops for that area and others which have the same agro-ecology. Achievable yield is determined by factors like availability of moisture and nutrients, Precipitation and irrigation as input, Soil profile water holding characteristics, Plant water balance (transpiration, water uptake), Soil water balance (evaporation, infiltration, runoff, flow, drainage) and Nitrogen fertilizer applications as input, Soil nitrogen conditions, Plant nitrogen balance (uptake, fixation, mobilization), Soil nitrogen balance (mineralization, immobilization, nitrification, denitrification). Generally, modeling Achievable yield of farm depend on water and nutrient data of the area and Actual yield is determined by factors like weeds, insect pests, diseases and pollutants. Keywords: Modeling, Gap analysis, Achievable yield and Farm level DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/12-15-02 Publication date:August 31st 2022

Drivers and Implications of Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia: Evidence from Remote Sensing and Socio-demographic Data Integration

This study explores the major drivers of Land-use/Land-cover (LULC) dynamics and the observed   environmental degradation as a response to these changes in the Modjo watershed, central Ethiopia. Data for this study were generated through household survey and supplemented with remotely sensed image interpretation. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and remote sensing-based image  processing. The findings of the study revealed that LULC dynamics together with a range of ecological changes are serious environmental problems in the study site. LULC changes are driven by a combination of proximate and underlying drivers such as economic, demographic, biophysical and institutional factors. Bareland expansion, increased surface runoff production and soil erosion are major environmental damages partly attributed to LULC dynamics in the study site. These environmental degradation processes have adverse impacts on local agricultural productivity, water resource availability and food security of communities. Thus, policy responses are needed for integrated natural resource management and livelihood sustainability in the study area.Key words: Ethiopia, Land Use and Land Cover Change, Modjo Watershed, Remote Sensin

Variations in rainfall and extreme event indices in The wettest part of Ethiopia

Changes in daily rainfall indices in the wettest (south-western) part of Ethiopia, commonly referred to as ‘year-round’ rainfall region were examined, by using records from nine stations over the period 1978–2007. Sixteen rainfall and dry spell related indices were defined and analyzed for trends; least squares regression was used to quantify trend and Kendall’s tau test was used to test statistical significance of trend. A complex picture of rainfall variability emerges from the analysis. Only one station (Gore) shows a statistically significant decline. The same station (Gore) shows significant decreasing trends in very wet day (R95p) and extremely wet day (R99p) amounts, whereas another station (Jimma) shows significant increasing trends in these parameters (total rainfall, very wet day and extremely wet day amounts); the other stations show no significant trends in these indices. Two of the stations (Asendabo and Sokoru) show statistically significant increasing trends in the maximum number of consecutive dry days. The results generally support previous studies in Ethiopia that there are no consistent patterns or trends in daily rainfall characteristics or seasonal rainfalls with the additional finding that choice of study stations strongly influences results of trend analysis. This suggests that regional scale conclusions may not be provided by analysis of few selected stations, given the high level of spatial variability at sub-regional scales in Ethiopia

Vulnerability of Smallholder Farmers’ to Climate Change and Variability in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia

This study investigates vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change and variability in three districts (Basona Werana, Efratana Gidim and Menz Gera Meder) located in different agroecological zones (AEZs) in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Household level data about livelihood capitals and climate related variables were used to develop vulnerability indices and determine vulnerability patterns across the study area. Our results identify Basona Werana as the most vulnerable in terms of physical and financial capital indicators while Efratana Gidim is the most vulnerable in natural capital indicators and climate factors. Vulnerability score of 3 out of the 6 indicators are the least for Menz Gera Meder. Statistically significant differences of vulnerability are observed in 9 of the 39 subcomponents indicating differences in the level of vulnerability across agroecological zones. The findings have implications for planning and prioritizing adaptation interventions in the study area, while the methodology is applicable to other parts of rural Ethiopia as well.Keywords: climate change; vulnerability; farmer, North Shewa, Ethiopi

Stakeholder linkages for sustainable land management in Dangila woreda, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

This paper presents stakeholder types involved in sustainable land management (SLM), their interests and interactions in Dangila woreda (district), Amhara Region, as a case study site. Data were collected from April to June 2011 and in October 2012 from a questionnaire survey of 201 rural households and 19 agricultural experts, through observation, and from formal and informal discussions. Results indicate that landholder and landless farmers, women, development agents (DAs), and Rural Kebele Administration (RKA) offices were major stakeholders involved in SLM activities in the study areas. These stakeholders were found having different interests regarding SLM issues. The linkages of farmers with DAs and RKA offices were observed to be strong but farmers’ participation in new technology selection was found to be low. Farmer interactions with Woreda, Zone and Region level experts were observed to be weak focused on top-down planning and upward reporting. Over 47% of experts interviewed in the woreda agriculture office were assigned to perform duties outside of their expertise profession and nearly 36% of them reported that their working environment was not very good and motivating. Greater than 94% of experts assessed indicated their incentives for work to be low. It is argued that enhancing farmer participation in SLM decisions and establishing good and motivating incentives and working environments could improve stakeholder interactions for SLM in the study areas.Key words: Stakeholders; farmer-expert linkages; resource management; Ethiopi

Risky sexual behavior and associated factors among secondary and above-education-level students in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Risky sexual behavior is defined as the behavior that increases the susceptibility of an individual to problems related to sexuality and reproductive health. The main aim of this study was to determine the pooled prevalence of risky sexual behavior and its associated factors in Ethiopia. METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) rules were used. During the searching period, MEDLINE, PUBMED, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and CINAHL were used with search terms. The STATA form 14 program was utilized to perform the meta-analysis. I2 statistics was used to test heterogeneity, and publication bias was assessed using Begg's and Egger's tests. Odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was presented using forest plots. RESULTS: There were 24 studies, and 13,440 study participants were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of risky sexual behavior in Ethiopia was 40% (95% CI: 32%, 48%). The associated factors for risky sexual behavior were substance use [OR: 2.41 (95% CI: 1.49, 3.89)], watching pornography [OR: 2.59 (95% CI: 1.01, 6.69)], and night club visit, [OR: 2.53 (95% CI: 1.64, 3.90)]. CONCLUSION: Risky sexual behavior among secondary school and above-education-level Ethiopian students was high

Summer Rains and Dry Seasons in the Upper Blue Nile Basin: The Predictability of Half a Century of Past and Future Spatiotemporal Patterns

peer-reviewedDuring the last 100 years the Ethiopian upper Blue Nile Basin (BNB) has undergone major changes in land use, and is now potentially facing changes in climate. Rainfall over BNB supplies over two-thirds of the water to the Nile and supports a large local population living mainly on subsistence agriculture. Regional food security is sensitive to both the amount and timing of rain and is already an important political challenge that will be further complicated if scenarios of climate change are realized. In this study a simple spatial model of the timing and duration of summer rains (Kiremt) and dry season (Bega), and annual rain over the upper BNB was established from observed data between 1952 and 2004. The model was used to explore potential impacts of climate change on these rains, using a down-scaled ECHAM5/MP1-OM scenario between 2050 and 2100. Over the observed period the amount, onset and duration of Kiremt rains and rain-free Bega days have exhibited a consistent spatial pattern. The spatially averaged annual rainfall was 1490 mm of which 93% was Kiremt rain. The average Kiremt rain and number of rainy days was higher in the southwest (322 days) and decreased towards the north (136 days). Under the 2050–2100 scenario, the annual mean rainfall is predicted to increase by 6% and maintain the same spatial pattern as in the past. A larger change in annual rainfall is expected in the southwest (ca. +130 mm) with a gradually smaller change towards the north (ca. +70 mm). Results highlight the need to account for the characteristic spatiotemporal zonation when planning water management and climate adaptation within the upper BNB. The presented simple spatial resolved models of the presence of Kiremt and annual total rainfall could be used as a baseline for such long-term planning.Swedish International Development Cooperation Agenc

Why does accuracy assessment and validation of multi-resolution-based satellite image classification matter? A methodological discourse

This study presents a methodological discourse about how to validate the reliability of thematic maps derived from multi-resolution satellite-based image classification. Besides, the paper examines unbiased estimates of accuracy assessment using known sampling units. Landsat and spot images were used for lulc thematic layer extraction. These thematic layers together with reference data extracted from panchromatic aerial photo interpretation and ground survey were used as input datasets for accuracy assessment and validation analysis. For each lulc unit, a minimum of 50 reference samples were derived using a stratified random sampling scheme. Consequently, error matrices were generated to validate the quality of the 1973, 1995 and 2007 lulc maps. To improve sampling biases introduced due to the stratified random sampling reference data collection scheme, accuracy assessment indices including the producer’s, user’s and overall accuracy as well as Kappa coefficient of agreement were adjusted to the known areal proportion of map categories. The computed overall accuracy, corrected for bias using known marginal proportions of the 1973, 1995 and 2007 thematic layers were 88.12%, 89.95% and 92.27%, respectively. Also, 81.20%, 82.17% and 83.11% of Kappa coefficient of agreement were achieved from the 1972, 1995 and 2007 classifications, respectively. The findings show that high resolution aerial photos are good sources of  reference datasets in the absence of historical ground truth data for accuracy assessment analysis and the lulc classifications fulfilled the minimum of lulc classification standards of overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient of agreement. Consequently, all the lulc classifications could be used as an input for policy options for integrated land resource management practices in the watershed studied