Economic valuation of the preferred traits of indigenous cattle in Ethiopia

This research employs recent data generation methods and econometric techniques to elicit cattle trait preferences and to estimate the relative economic values of the preferred traits within the context of a semi-subsistence livelihood system in Dano district of Central Ethiopia. Economic valuation of preferred cattle traits serves much more than estimating implicit prices or willingness to pay. It reveals the fact that the relative economic values consumers and producers attach to traits considered important inherently determine the types and composition of animals kept under their custody. The preferences elicited and the relative values of traits can, therefore, serve as basis for biological research and policy interventions for the sustainable use of the animal genetic resources. The results of this study show that the rural community has clear and consistent preferences for the different cattle attributes that manifest the suitability of the cattle for the different and interrelated functions they are expected to render. Bull trait preference analysis results illustrate that the farming community assigns high values for good plowing strength, big body size, disease resistance, calf vigor, and for places the cattle were brought from. Regarding cow attributes, the community attaches more importance to fertility (short calving interval), disease resistance and calf vigor than to milk. Hedonic price function estimations also show that phenotypic traits of cattle, particularly class of cattle - based on sex and function, body size and age, influence cattle price as well as marketing season and market location. Based on the empirical results, a framework for the community based management of cattle genetic resources is also developed envisioning locally managed sustainable use and conservation of the indigenous cattle resources. The results of this research would substantially justify the re-focusing of the strategies and programs Ethiopia has been implementing for the last four decades with the aim of improving only few commercially important traits. The results also call for the empowerment and motivation of the rural community for sustainable management of the cattle genetic resources against the top-down approach that has been the norm in Ethiopia

Seeding eastern Africa’s maize revolution in the post-structural adjustment era: a review and comparative analysis of the formal maize seed sector

Improved maize seed is instrumental to deliver an Asian-style ‘green revolution’ for Africa. The paper reviews and makes a comparative analysis of the maize (corn) seed sector and its evolution in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia drawing from seed sector surveys and secondary data. Enhancing farmers’ access to and use of new maize varieties still presents a number of challenges in eastern Africa – not least due to a number of policy and institutional impediments to the development of the seed sector. The regional seed sectors also show some remarkable contrasts: they have evolved at different speeds and in different directions, driven by diverging agricultural growth opportunities and varying degrees of regulation, liberalization and restructuring. The paper reiterates calls for an enabling environment for private seed companies to evolve in order to serve the diverse farmer communities so that they benefit from existing and future improved maize seed opportunities

Seeding eastern Africa’s maize revolution in the post-structural adjustment era: a review and comparative analysis of the formal maize seed sector

Improved maize seed is instrumental to deliver an Asian-style ‘green revolution’ for Africa. The paper reviews and makes a comparative analysis of the maize (corn) seed sector and its evolution in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia drawing from seed sector surveys and secondary data. Enhancing farmers’ access to and use of new maize varieties still presents a number of challenges in eastern Africa – not least due to a number of policy and institutional impediments to the development of the seed sector. The regional seed sectors also show some remarkable contrasts: they have evolved at different speeds and in different directions, driven by diverging agricultural growth opportunities and varying degrees of regulation, liberalization and restructuring. The paper reiterates calls for an enabling environment for private seed companies to evolve in order to serve the diverse farmer communities so that they benefit from existing and future improved maize seed opportunities

Characterization of Maize Producing Households in Drought Prone Regions of Eastern Africa

Agriculture in eastern Africa is predominantly rainfed and maize is a major food crop, primarily produced for home consumption and the market by small-scale family farms. The study characterized farm households in the drought prone maize growing areas of eastern Africa synthesizing data from parallel household surveys in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The study provides a comparative analysis of the farm households’ assets, livelihood strategies and crop management practices, with an emphasis on maize and maize seed. This illustrates how farmers in a similar agro-ecological environment but with different socio-economic and institutional settings have variously adapted to living with drought and how the inherent weather risk co-determines the livelihood portfolio, agricultural intensification incentives and system development pathways. The study thereby illustrates the challenges for agricultural intensification in such drought prone environments and the scope for drought tolerant maize varieties and explores the research and development implications

Data

This dataset supplements the forthcoming publication in PLoS One under the title indicated above

Characterization of Maize Producing Households in Drought Prone Regions of Eastern Africa

Agriculture in eastern Africa is predominantly rainfed and maize is a major food crop,primarily produced for home consumption and the market by small-scale family farms. The study characterized farm households in the drought prone maize growing areas of eastern Africa synthesizing data from parallel household surveys in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The study provides a comparative analysis of the farm households’ assets, livelihood strategies and crop management practices, with an emphasis on maize and maize seed. This illustrates how farmers in a similar agro-ecological environment but with different socio-economic and institutional settings have variously adapted to living with drought and how the inherent weather risk co-determines the livelihood portfolio, agricultural intensification incentives and system development pathways. The study thereby illustrates the challenges for agricultural intensification in such drought prone environments and the scope for drought tolerant maize varieties and explores the research and development implications

Estimating the economic value of climate services for strengthening resilience of smallholder farmers to climate risks in Ethiopia: A choice experiment approach

This study estimated the economic value of agricultural climate services for strengthening the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate variability and risks in Ethiopia. Using a choice experiment approach, the study introduced a hypothetical package of improved climate services to 600 randomly selected smallholder farmers in three districts across three different agro-ecological zones in the Oromia Regional State. A generalized multinomial logit (G-MNL) model was used to estimate preferred attributes of climate services and willingness-to-pay (WTP) values. The results show that the preferred bundle of improved climate services among smallholder farmers was one that could be communicated in short text message system, provided along with credit facility, and market information and one that favors participatory decision making by smallholders. The results further reveal that the WTP value exhibited high implicit price for participatory decision-making. The study sheds light on important characteristics of agricultural climate services that may improve their acceptability and usability among smallholders. It also highlights the importance of packaging additional services including digital and ICT-based solutions, financial and market information along with climate services to promote demand-driven last mile delivery systems. Engaging smallholder farmers in a participatory manner in the decision-making process can help them make informed decision