Assessment of feed resources, feeding practices and coping strategies to feed scarcity by smallholder urban dairy producers in Jimma town, Ethiopia

Smallholder dairy production is increasingly becoming popular in Jimma town. However, feed shortage is a major constraint to dairy production. The objectives of this study was to assess feed resources, feeding practices and farmers' perceived causes of feed shortage and coping strategies to feed scarcity in smallholder dairy producers in Jimma town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. A total of 54 randomly selected dairy farmers were interviewed using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and through direct observations. Twenty major feed types used by dairy farmers were identified and categorized into five classes: natural pasture grazing, green feeds, hay, concentrate (commercial mix and agro-industrial by-products) and non-conventional feed resources. Green feeds-fresh or succulent grasses and legumes (mean rank = 0.361), concentrate (0.256), hay (0.198), non-conventional feeds (0.115) and natural pasture grazing (0.070) were ranked as the main feed resources in that order of importance. Green feed (94.4 % of the respondents) was found to be the main basal diet of dairy cattle. Overall, wheat bran (85.2 % of the respondents), commercial concentrate (55.6 %), noug (Guizotia abyssinica) cake (20.4 %), cotton seed cake (7.4 %) and molasses (7.4 %) were the main concentrate supplements used (P > 0.05). Local brew waste (attela) (77.8 % of the respondents), bean and pea hulls (42.6 %) enset (Ensete ventricosum) leaf and pseudo-stem (37 %), sugarcane tops (33.3 %), banana leaf and stem/stover (16.7 %) and papaya stem (16.7 %) were the dominant non-conventional feed resources in the surveyed area (P > 0.05). About 79.6, 7.4, 1.9 and 11.1 % of the farmers used zero-, semi-zero-, and the combination of zero-and semi-zero-and free-grazing systems, respectively. Most farmers (90.7 %) offered concentrate supplements to milking cows. However, supplementation did not consider milk yield, physiological status and condition of cows. All the farmers (100 %) offered common salt to their cattle as mineral supplement. The majority (98.1 %) of the farmers experience feed shortage in the dry season. Land scarcity (55.6 % of the respondents) was reported as the most important cause of feed scarcity followed by a combination of land scarcity and poor feed availability (42.2 %). Increasing use of agro-industrial by-products and commercial concentrate mix (87 % of the respondents), increasing use of hay (74.1 %), increasing use of non-conventional feeds (50 %), purchasing green feeds (19.8 %) and reducing herd size (2.7 %) were the strategies adopted for coping with feed scarcity. From results of this study, it could be concluded that to ensure sustainable availability of dairy cattle feed in the surveyed area, technological, technical and institutional innovations would be vital

The Role of Agricultural Cooperatives in Risk Management and Impact on Farm Income: Evidence from Southern Ethiopia

Rural households face considerable risks related to farm business such as variability of yield and market conditions. These risks are especially important if they result in income fluctuations.  One possible strategy for household is to take up low-risk activities, even if they imply lower returns. This is likely if the households are constrained with risk management instruments. Integrated Seed Sector development (ISSD) Ethiopia programme has been intervening to reduce such sub-optimal decision by organizing farmers under Agricultural Cooperatives (AC) and establishing market linkage. In this paper, the role of the intervention on risk-management behavior of farm households (manifested by crop choice) and impact on farm income examined taking case of Southern Ethiopia. The two-step Instrumental Variable estimates confirm positive impact of agricultural cooperatives on crop choice and farm income. In attempt to identify major determinants of participation in the programme, the binary probit estimates shed light on factors behind the participation decision and indicates that participation in agricultural cooperatives is strongly linked to access to the programme, access to information, having contact with farm extension agents, land size, distance from main road and household size. Majority of non-participants are poor, women, and young headed households. Thus, enhancing participation of the poor, women and young headed households will have favorable impact for increasing resilience of farm households and poverty reduction. Keywords: Cooperative, Risk-management, Impac

Assessment of husbandry practice and egg production performance of indigenous chickens in urban and peri urban area of Guder town, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

The study was undertaken from May up to July 2020 in Guder town of Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to explore husbandry practices and egg production performance of indigenous chicken in the study area. A cross-sectional systematic random survey of 40 households was undertaken by using semi-structured and pre tested questionnaire. Information on management practices, production systems, egg production performances and constraints of indigenous chicken kept in Guder town was generated by semi-structured questionnaire. The primary data collected from house hold survey was processed and analyzed by using a statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 20.0 software. Descriptive statistics such as percentage, mean, ranking, standard deviation, and cross tabulation were used to analyze the data quantitatively. Data gathered through key informant interviews, focus group discussion and personal observation was analyzed qualitatively to strengthen data obtained from the household survey. Due to its small space and lower capital requirement sample household’s ranked chicken as the first important animals kept in the study area. The main purposes of keeping indigenous chicken in the study area were for home consumption followed by generation of income. The most important feed resources of indigenous chicken kept in the study area were feed obtained from scavenging, house hold wastes, the market left over, and industrial by products. Majority of the households accommodated their indigenous chicken in a separate house constructed for the confinement of the chicken. The higher mortality rate of indigenous chicken in the study area was caused by disease and predator. The most commonly happening and economically important disease in the study area was Newcastle. The commonly observed predators in the study area were cat and dog. Health and feed problems were the first and the second constraint of indigenous chicken production in the study area respectively. Therefore area based development involvement could help to increase the productivity of indigenous chicken and thereby improve the income of small holders

Determinants of Urban Youth Unemployment: Evidence from Guder Town, Western Shoa Zone, Ethiopia

Unemployment is a global issue that challenging every nation. It represents the underutilization of human capital and it is very important issue that negatively affects the development of the country. The study aimed to identifying the determinants factors responsible for urban youth unemployment: The study adopted a cross sectional data of Urban Employment-Unemployment. The town was purposively selected from the town of west shoa zones. The primary data was collected from 91 sample respondents through interview questionnaire from Guder town proportionally. A descriptive and econometric analysis was employed to meet the main objective of the study. The descriptive analyses result revealed that about 61.5 % of the youth are unemployed while 38.6 % are employed.  Regression results from a binary logit model estimation show that sex, educational level, marital status, skill match and access to credit use of youth are found to be the significant determinants to urban youth unemployment while family prosperity and market information were statistically insignificant to urban youth unemployment in the town. The econometric results suggested the need for the government go aboard on creating jobs through identify employment opportunities and industrialization and mechanization of agriculture. Keywords: Unemployment, Determinants, Binary logit model, Youth DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/9-17-07 Publication date:September 30th 201

Do Market Linkages Play a Role in Improving Food Security Status of Rural Households? Evidence from Chencha Apple Production and Marketing Project, Southern Ethiopia

The objective of this paper is to assess the effect of improvement in production and marketing of Highland Fruits on rural household's food security status. The study carried out in Chencha District, Southern Ethiopia in May 2015 to assess the impact of the project designed and implemented by the World Vision (WV) Ethiopia. Systematic random sampling method followed to select both participant and non-participant households of the project. Food security assessed using Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), Months of Adequate Household Food Provisioning (MAHFP) and Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS). Totally, 418 households participated in the survey with a response rate of 95.87%. The result from HFIAS confirms significant variation in food insecurity based on participation status. Non-participants are relatively food insecured compared to their counter parts. Mean of MAHFP shows statistically significant difference with higher MAHFP for participated households. In addition, the mean HDDS also shows statistically significant variation between participant and non-participant households. Higher mean dietary diversity score and increased number in months of adequate household food provisioning among project participants signals positive contribution of the project in improving food security status. Thus, improving production and marketing of Highland Fruits can be an alternative in reducing food insecurity problem among rural communities. Keywords: Apple production, Food security, HFIAS, MAHFP, HDDS

Value Chain Analysis of the Pre and Post-Harvest Factors Deteriorating the Quality of Coffee in the Chole District, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

The research aimed to identify the quality deteriorating factors at pre and post-harvest level of the coffee value chain in the Arsi Zone of Chole district. Different research strategies were employed to answer the research questions, which include; desk study, interview, focus group discussion, field survey and observation were employed to collect pertinent information on the pre-harvest and post-harvest factors within the value chain. Data were collected and analyzed by different methods to identify which practices were the possible factors deteriorating the quality of the coffee in the value chain. The result indicated that, at the pre-harvest level, inadequate use of fertilizers, limited moisture, lack of practicing rejuvenation and pruning, coffee wilt and berry diseases, insect pest incidence were the main factors to deteriorate the quality coffee production. At the post-harvest level, carrying out of improper harvesting practices, hardly use of recommended packaging materials, unconducive storage system, mixing of water and foreign matters on dried coffee were some of the factors affecting the quality of the coffee. To address the identified factors, at the pre and postharvest level along the coffee value chain, applied recommendations were given to selected stakeholders. Keywords: coffee, value chain, quality, pre-harvest, post-harves

Determinants of Livestock Production Development of Smallholder Farmers’: The Case of Bedele District, Bunno Bedele Zone, Western Ethiopia

Livestock production is undertaken both in highland and lowland of Ethiopia. The study assessed determinants of livestock production development through identifying the constraints and opportunity to production developments. The study adopted a cross sectional survey design. The district was randomly selected from zones. To undertake the assessment three kebele were selected for the same cases from these districts. Using proportionate sampling technique a total of 99 respondents was selected from the kebele where by ten were female headed and 89 were male headed households. Descriptive statistics like mean and percentage was used to describe the socio-economic data of respondents. Some opportunities available for livestock production development in the study area are availability of water, supply of improved breed, feed availability, credit services, veterinary supply and mixed crop-livestock production system.  Econometric model a multiple linear regression analysis has been carried out to find the factors influence livestock production development of smallholder farmers’. The results of the multiple linear regression model showed that from a total of ten explanatory variables were included in the model, of which education level , extension services ,  availability of market information, availability of grazing land, Artificial insemination  and veterinary service were found to be statistically significant to livestock production development. The multiple linear regression result show that livestock production development in the study area is determined by availability of grazing land, extension services, artificial insemination and veterinary service, availability of market information  education level at 1%, and 5% significant level respectively. Keywords: Determinants, Smallholder farmers, Livestock Production development, multiple linear regression models DOI: 10.7176/JEES/9-8-03 Publication date: August 31st 201

Determinants of livestock production development of smallholder farmers’

The study assessed determinants of livestock production development of smallholder farmers’ through identifying the constraints and opportunity to livestock production developments. The study adopted cross sectional survey design. The district was randomly selected from zones. A total of 99 respondents were selected from the kebele where by ten were female headed and 89 were male headed households. Descriptive statistics result showed that opportunities of livestock production development in the study area, availability of water, availability of market information, supply of improved breed, feed availability, credit services, veterinary services and mixed crop-livestock production system. Multiple linear regression analysis has been carried out to find out determinants of livestock production development of smallholder farmers’. The results of the multiple linear regression model showed that from a total of ten explanatory variables were included in the model, of which availability of grazing land, extension services, artificial insemination and veterinary service, availability of market information and education level were found to be statistically significant to livestock production development at 1%, and 5% significant level respectively.Keywords: Determinants, Livestock Production Development, Multiple Linear regressions Mode

Dairy Productive Potential, Challenges and Production opportunities of Horro and their F1 Jersey Crossbred Cows: A Case of Guduru Livestock Production and Research Center and Its Surroundings, West Oromia, Ethiopia

A survey was conducted on 75 smallholder householders and 205 sample cows selected by random and purposive sampling with the objectives of investigating the challenges, potential and opportunities of production of indigenous Horro and their F1 Jersey cross heifers and cows. The means ± SDs of total farmland, cropland and grazing land holding of individual smallholder householders of the study area was 3.6±3.16, 2.86±2.51 and 0.81±0.89 respectively. The means and SDs of livestock species holdings were 17±11.66, 2.9±3.98, 2.9±4.83, 1.8 ±1.66 and 9.3±8.97 for cattle, sheep, goats, equine and poultry respectively. Breeding method of cattle used was within the proportion of 63.8% and 36.2% for natural mating, and for bull and AI services respectively for on-farm production, while both AI and controlled natural mating were used in the Research Center. The means±SD of NSPC for Horro and their Jersey crossbred heifers was 2.1±1.09 and 1.7±0.94 respectively, where NSPC was significantly influenced by breed of cattle at P<0.05. The overall mean ± SE milk off-take per cow per day for local and crossbred cows were 1.5±0.01 and 5.02±0.12 litres, respectively. Feeding management, breed of animal and site of production significantly influenced milk productivity at P<0.001 both in wet and dry seasons of the year