Dairy Production and Marketing Systems of Smallholder Farmers: The Case of Urban and Pre-urban of Guto Gida and Bako Tibe Districts, Western Oromia, Ethiopia

Ethiopian’s economy is still dominated by agriculture and livestock share about 13-16% of total GDP. Dairy production could play a great role in the economy, considering its strong potential to provide regular income to poor rural, per-urban and urban households in Ethiopia. The objectives of the study are: to characteristics dairy production and marketing, to assess milk production and marketing system of dairy producers and to identify milk production and marketing constraints in dairy production in the study areas. Both purposive and random sampling techniques were employed to draw appropriate sample households. Data was obtained through household survey using a semi structured questionnaire. The result showed that dairy is the most important household livelihood in the study areas and out of the total dairy, about 72.97% are Horro breed. The overall average of local and cross dairy milk is 2.33 and 7.88 litter per day, respectively. The major constraints are livestock disease, feed shortage, labor shortage and low milk yield. These findings demonstrate the vital need to strengthen dairy production and market information delivery systems, encourage improved forage crop, improved breeding system and establish more market outlets with improved market facilities in order to promote production dairy in high value by smallholder farmers. Keywords: Dairy production, Ethiopia, marketing, system, pre-urban, smallholder, urba

Economic Efficiency of Smallholder Farmers in Maize Production in Bako Tibe District, Ethiopia

Ethiopian agriculture is characterized by low productivity due to technical and socio-economic factors. To improve this problem integration of modern technologies with improved level of efficiency become more crucial. Accordingly, this study was conducted using Stochastic Frontier Production Function (SFPF) to estimate the level of Technical Efficiency (TE), Allocative Efficiency (AE) and Economic Efficiency (EE) as well as Tobit model to identify factors affecting these efficiencies. The mean of TE, AE and EE were 82.93%, 66.03% and 54%, respectively. The mean of TE and AE implies that there exists possibility to increase production by 17.07% without using extra inputs and decrease cost of inputs by 33.97%, respectively. The result revealed high inefficiency among maize producers. The Tobit model results revealed that age, off/non-farm activities, sex, amount of land owned and perception on agricultural policy had a significant effect on TE. Education, frequency of extension visit, perception on agricultural policy and livestock holding had significant effect on AE while age, off/non-farm activities, sex, land owned, credit utilized and perception on agricultural policy had a significant effect on EE. The result showed that there are opportunities to increase efficiency of maize production. Therefore, the policies and strategies in development and research may act on these variables to increase the efficiency level of maize producers. Keywords: Cobb-Douglas, efficiency, maize, smallholders, stochastic frontier, Tobit

Soya Bean Value Chain Analysis in Chewaka District, Buno Bedele Zone of Oromia

Soybean is among the important pulse crops grown in different parts of Ethiopia as stable food and income generation source. Market continue to be seen as the means for ensuring that smallholder farmers of agricultural products are effectively integrated into the mainstream of national economies. The study was conducted in Chewaka district of Buno Bedele zone. Both primary and secondary data were used for this study. A three stage of sampling technique was employed to select appropriate sample household heads. Descriptive statistics and costs and margins analysis methods along the value chains were employed for the study. The core functions in soya bean value chain of the study area include: input supply, production, marketing, processing and consumption. Under this core functions, actors are broadly classified into three, namely inputs suppliers, direct market actors and chain supporters. The study result indicated that there is fair producers’ share of final price among all major marketing channels and market actors obtained fair selling price of net margin in five major marketing channels, but traders obtained low net marketing margin. Major constraints that influence the development of soya bean value chain in the study area were identified and prioritized. Access market information, linkage, farmers-cooperatives contractual and others issues need attention. Keywords: Soya bean, marketing margin and value chain

Determinants of Adoption of Improved Varieties of Wheat (Triticum aestivum), Teff (Eragrostis teff), and Maize (Zea mays L.) in Central Ethiopia

This study determined factors of the adoption of improved varieties of certified maize, teff, and wheat seeds in central Ethiopia. The logit model was applied to estimate the likelihood of adoption decisions. The result showed that 29% of household respondents adopted improved seeds, while 71% relied on their local landraces. The findings also revealed that farmers' decisions to adopt wheat, teff, and maize varieties were significantly influenced by educational level, farm size, farming experience, income, credit access, extension contact, farm input, and distance to the market. Thus, the study recommends that the government should focus on strengthening extension services, improving access to improved seeds, expanding timely agricultural inputs supply, improving market opportunities, equipping knowledgeable farmers who increase the use of new varieties, and making the land more economical by sharing agronomic practices are areas that need policy attention enhancing the adoption of certified seeds of improved varieties.

Determinants of Adoption of Improved Varieties of Wheat (Triticum aestivum), Teff (Eragrostis teff), and Maize (Zea mays L.) in Central Ethiopia

This study determined factors of the adoption of improved varieties of certified maize, teff, and wheat seeds in central Ethiopia. The logit model was applied to estimate the likelihood of adoption decisions. The result showed that 29% of household respondents adopted improved seeds, while 71% relied on their local landraces. The findings also revealed that farmers' decisions to adopt wheat, teff, and maize varieties were significantly influenced by educational level, farm size, farming experience, income, credit access, extension contact, farm input, and distance to the market. Thus, the study recommends that the government should focus on strengthening extension services, improving access to improved seeds, expanding timely agricultural inputs supply, improving market opportunities, equipping knowledgeable farmers who increase the use of new varieties, and making the land more economical by sharing agronomic practices are areas that need policy attention enhancing the adoption of certified seeds of improved varieties.

Determinants of Adoption of Improved Varieties of Wheat (Triticum aestivum), Teff (Eragrostis teff), and Maize (Zea mays L.) in Central Ethiopia

This study determined factors of the adoption of improved varieties of certified maize, teff, and wheat seeds in central Ethiopia. The logit model was applied to estimate the likelihood of adoption decisions. The result showed that 29% of household respondents adopted improved seeds, while 71% relied on their local landraces. The findings also revealed that farmers' decisions to adopt wheat, teff, and maize varieties were significantly influenced by educational level, farm size, farming experience, income, credit access, extension contact, farm input, and distance to the market. Thus, the study recommends that the government should focus on strengthening extension services, improving access to improved seeds, expanding timely agricultural inputs supply, improving market opportunities, equipping knowledgeable farmers who increase the use of new varieties, and making the land more economical by sharing agronomic practices are areas that need policy attention enhancing the adoption of certified seeds of improved varieties.

Disclosure experience and associated factors among HIV positive men and women clinical service users in southwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Disclosing HIV test results to one's sexual partner allows the partner to engage in preventive behaviors as well as the access of necessary support for coping with serostatus or illness. It may motivate partners to seek testing or change behavior, and ultimately decrease the transmission of HIV. The present study was undertaken to determine the rate, outcomes and factors associated with HIV positive status disclosure in Southwest Ethiopia among HIV positive service users. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out from January 15, 2007 to March 15, 2007 in Jimma University Specialized Hospital. Data were collected using a pre-tested interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 705 people (353 women and 352 men), participated in the study of which 71.6% were taking ART. The vast majority (94.5%) disclosed their result to at least one person and 90.8% disclosed to their current main partner. However, 14.2% of disclosure was delayed and 20.6% did not know their partner's HIV status. Among those who did not disclose, 54% stated their reason as fear of negative reaction from their partner. Among those disclosures however, only 5% reported any negative reaction from the partner. Most (80.3%) reported that their partners reacted supportively to disclosure of HIV status. Disclosure of HIV results to a sexual partner was associated with knowing the partner's HIV status, advanced disease stage, low negative self-image, residing in the same house with partner, and discussion about HIV testing prior to seeking services. CONCLUSION: Although the majority of participants disclosed their test results, lack of disclosure by a minority resulted in a limited ability to engage in preventive behaviors and to access support. In addition, a considerable proportion of the participants did not know their partner's HIV status. Programmatic and counseling efforts should focus on mutual disclosure of HIV test results, by encouraging individuals to ask their partner's HIV status in addition to disclosing their own

The Fuzzy Prime Spectrum of Partially Ordered Sets

We study the space of prime fuzzy ideals (and the space of maximal fuzzy ideals as a subspace) equipped with the hull-kernel topology in partially ordered sets. Mainly, we investigate the conditions for which the fuzzy prime spectrum of a poset is compact, Hausdorff, and normal, respectively

Setting up child health and mortality prevention surveillance in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Mortality rates for children under five years of age, and stillbirth risks, remain high in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) network aims to ascertain causes of child death in high child mortality settings (>50 deaths/1000 live-births). We aimed to develop a “greenfield” site for CHAMPS, based in Harar and Kersa, in Eastern Ethiopia. This very high mortality setting (>100 deaths/1000 live-births in Kersa) had limited previous surveillance capacity, weak infrastructure and political instability. Here we describe site development, from conception in 2015 to the end of the first year of recruitment. METHODS: We formed a collaboration between Haramaya University and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and engaged community, national and international partners to support a new CHAMPS programme. We developed laboratory infrastructure and recruited and trained staff. We established project specific procedures to implement CHAMPS network protocols including; death notifications, clinical and demographic data collection, post-mortem minimally invasive tissue sampling, microbiology and pathology testing, and verbal autopsy. We convened an expert local panel to determine cause-of-death. In partnership with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute we developed strategies to improve child and maternal health. RESULTS: Despite considerable challenge, with financial support, personal commitment and effective partnership, we successfully initiated CHAMPS. One year into recruitment (February 2020), we had received 1173 unique death notifications, investigated 59/99 MITS-eligible cases within the demographic surveillance site, and assigned an underlying and immediate cause of death to 53 children. CONCLUSIONS: The most valuable data for global health policy are from high mortality settings, but initiating CHAMPS has required considerable resource. To further leverage this investment, we need strong local research capacity and to broaden the scientific remit. To support this, we have set up a new collaboration, the “Hararghe Health Research Partnership”