On farm Demonstration and Evaluation of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam) Varieties: The case of Kellem and West Wollega Zones, West Oromia, Ethiopia

Sweet potatoes are an important traditional food crop in Ethiopia, valued by farmers for their versatility, high caloric content, and taste. An improved, disease resistant and high yielding variety of sweet potato is very important to improve farmers’ productivities and income. Objective of this study was to demonstrate the already verified and improved varieties of sweet potatoes on selected districts of West and Kellem Wollega Zones. The demonstration and on farm evaluation result of this study revealed that the Balo variety was best by comparing it with the local one. The average yield of Balo variety is 46.81 kg per 100m2 plots of land and 24 kg per 100m2 plots of land for local variety. The mean value of Balo variety at local market is 140.43 birr per 100m2 plots of land, which is preferable to local type. The net benefit per hectare for Balo variety, 39,613 birr per hectare, is larger than that of local variety, 21,945 birr per hectare. The mean weight of marketable tuber per plot is 0.9875 kg for Balo variety which is larger than that of local variety, 0.324 kg. Farmers’ have got training through Farmer Research Group (FRG) approach, in which they have practically seen and tested two varieties through by applying full extension packages. Keywords: On farm, Demonstration and Evaluation, Sweet Potato Varieties, Haro Sabu, Ethiopi

Farmers’ Perceptions and Adaptations to Climate Change through Conservation Agriculture: The Case of Guto Gida and Sasiga Districts, Western Ethiopia

Ethiopia, one of the developing countries, is facing serious natural resource degradation problems.  The main objective of this study was to examine the farmer’s perceptions and adaptation to climate change through conservation agriculture. The data used for the study were collected from 142 farm households heads drawn from five kebeles. Primary data and secondary data were used. In addition to descriptive statistics, Heckman two stage sample selection model was employed to examine farmer’s perceptions and adaptations of climate change. Farmers level of education, household nonfarm income, livestock ownership, extension on crop and livestock, households’ credit accessibility, perception of increase in temperature and perception of decrease in precipitation significantly affect the adaptation to climate change. Similarly, farmers’ perception of climate change was affected significantly by information on climate, farmer to farmer extension, local agro -ecology, number of relatives in development group and perception of change in duration of season.  A binary logit model was employed for farmers’ participation in conservation agriculture shows education level, number of active family labour and main employment of farmers were significant variables in determining participation in conservation agriculture Keywords: Climate Change, Conservation Agriculture, Heckman and Binary Logit, Western Ethiopi

Spatial and Temporal Uncertainty of Rainfall in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas of Ethiopia

The aim of this study was to assess rainfall uncertainty and trends in the arid and semi-arid areas of Ethiopia by using rainfall data records from the thirteen stations over the period of 1952-2012. In this study annual and seasonal rainfalls were analyzed for trends, least square regression was used to quantify the trends and Spearman’s rho was used to test statistical significance of the trends. The results of the analysis in rainfall variability shows negative trend in Bulen and Asosa stations in the western arid and semi-arid areas was statistically significant at 0.71 and 0.3 levels  respectively. In the same way, inter annual seasonal rainfall shows during observation negative trends for eight to eleven stations, though not  statistically significant in most of the stations. Indeed, mean annual   rainfall in arid and semi-arid is highly seasonal and analysis of seasonal rainfall indicates a significant increase in the variability. To this effect, seasonal rainfall variability was higher during Spring and Autumn seasons in the Western stations than East and South Eastern stations. On the other hand, during observation, summer rainfall variability which directly affectingagricultural production is less variable over western stations than East and South Eastern stations in arid and semiarid areas. The finding of the study revealed that there are significant spatial differences in mean annual, seasonal and trends of rainfall between the Western and Eastern, South Eastern arid and semiarid areas of Ethiopia

Review of Challenges and Prospects of Agricultural Production and Productivity in Ethiopia

Agricultural production in Ethiopia is characterized by subsistence orientation, low productivity, low level of technology and inputs, lack of infrastructures and market institutions, and extremely vulnerable to rainfall variability. Productivity performance in the agriculture sector is critical to improvement in overall economic well-being in Ethiopia. Low availability of improved or hybrid seed, lack of seed multiplication capacity, low profitability and efficiency of fertilizer, lack of irrigation development, lack of transport infrastructure, inaccessibility of market and prevalence of land degradation, unfertile soil, overgrazing, deforestation and desertification are among the constraints to agricultural productivity during last period. However, in 2011 the sector grew by 9% driven by cereal production which reached a record high of 19.10 million tons in Ethiopia. Keywords: Challenges, Prospects, Agricultural Production, Productivity, Ethiopi

Industrialization and Environmental Pollution in Africa: An Empirical Review

Industrialization, the process of transformational change of the human society from an agrarian society into an industrial one, has positive contribution in social, economic and political life of the society and impose strain on the natural environment. The aim of the paper was to review literatures on industrialization and environmental pollution from developing countries (Africa) perspective.  In developing countries, focusing only on industrialization without considering waste emission may impose constraint on the environment. These nations need to regularly monitor the effect that growing industrialization is creating on the environment. Keywords: Industrialization, Environment, Pollution, Africa DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/69-03 Publication date:October 31st 202

The Effect of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction in Selected Private Banks (In Case of Wolaita Sodo Town)

In the competitive market, banks in both public and private sectors apply different strategies to improve the quality of their services provided. However, there is a lack of recent evidence to show how the quality of these services affects customer satisfaction, leaving a significant fleabag in Ethiopian literature. Therefore, this study attempted to explore the effect of service quality of private banks on customer satisfaction. Data were collected through questionnaire from a sample of 360 bank customer. The respondents were selected using simple random sampling method. The data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed using Statistical tools such as mean, standard deviation, correlation, and multiple regression analysis. The finding of this study also indicates that customers were most satisfied with the assurance dimensions of service quality. On the contrary, customers were less satisfied with reliability and empathy dimensions of service quality. The results also indicate that unlike responsiveness the four service quality dimensions (tangibility, empathy, assurance and reliability) have positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. Keywords: Customer Satisfaction, Service Quality, DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/11-19-03 Publication date:July 31st 201

Assessing Challenges of Inventory Management Pratice (In Case of Dubo Primary Hospital)

Inventory is a vital asset, necessary for effective operation of any organization. The key to growing your business is not your strategies, your people or your technology. It is your ability to manage the chain of your vital inputs that you need to create your product and service. The main objective of the study is to find out the challenges of inventory management practice in Dubo primary hospital with respect to their cause and forward possible solutions to mitigate the challenges. Data for the study was collected from different section and department. The major data collection tools were interview and questioner. The finding of this study shows that organization used different items in distinct store method. Even through this method helps to improve management system it highly increase carrying cost of inventories .therefore it is better to the organization if it apply all item at a center store method over all item at distinct store method. Keywords:Inventory management, storage system, replenishment policies DOI: 10.7176/IEL/9-1-0

Assessing Challenges of Inventory Management Practice (In Case of Dubo Primary Hospital)

Inventory is a vital asset, necessary for effective operation of any organization. The key to growing your business is not your strategies, your people or your technology. It is your ability to manage the chain of your vital inputs that you need to create your product and service. The main objective of the study is to find out the challenges of inventory management practice in Dubo primary hospital with respect to their cause and forward possible solutions to mitigate the challenges. Data for the study was collected from different section and department. The major data collection tools were interview and questioner. The finding of this study shows that organization used different items in distinct store method. Even through this method helps to improve management system it highly increase carrying cost of inventories .therefore it is better to the organization if it apply all item at a center store method over all item at distinct store method. Keywords- Inventory management, storage system, replenishment policies DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/89-02 Publication date: August 31st 201

The determinants of agricultural productivity and rural household income in Ethiopia

This paper aims at investigating the determinants of agricultural productivity and rural household income in Ethiopia. Three econometric models namely: Pooled ordinary least square (POLS), fixed effects (FE) and random effects (RE) model were used to examine the relationship between productivity and income; using Ethiopian socio-economic survey of 2011/12 and 2013/14 data, collected by CSA of Ethiopia in collaboration with the World Bank.Results showed that, Land-labor ratio, use of fertilizer, use of pesticide, manure and household size are found to be the most significant variables that affect agricultural labor and land productivity. However, drought has statistically significant and has negative effect on both labor and land productivity by the same magnitude. Labor productivity, non-farm income and land productivity are found to be the most determinants of household income. However, number of dependency ratio is significantly and negatively affects the rural household income. Sex of the household head is the main socio-economic factor for the variation of income among the rural households. The study also concludes that, Labor productivity is the most potent for factor of production and rural household income enhancement. The policy implication of the study is that, increasing land-labor ratio is important for agricultural productivity enhancement and promotion of both farm labor and non-farm income are best focusing to speed up for the enhancement of rural household income.Keywords: Labor productivity, Land productivity; Rural household income, Rural household panel data, Fixed effect mode

Determinants and Impacts of Modern Agricultural Technology Adoption in West Wollega: The Case of Gulliso District

This study analyzed factors affecting modern agricultural technology adoption by farmers and the impact of technology adoption decision on the welfare of households in the study area. The data used for the study were obtained from 145 randomly selected sample households in the study area. Binary logit model was employed to analyze the determinants of farmers’ decisions to adopt modern technologies. Moreover, the average effect of adoption on household incomes and expenditure were estimated by using propensity score matching method. The result of the logistic regression showed that household heads’ education level, farm size, credit accessibility, perception of farmers about cost of the inputs and off-farm income positively and significantly affected the farm households’ adoption decision; while family size affected their decision negatively and significantly. The result of the propensity score matching estimation showed that the average income and consumption expenditure of adopters are greater than that of non-adopters. Based on these findings it is recommended that the zonal and the woreda leaders extension agents farm and education experts, policy makers and other development oriented organizations have to plan in such a way that the farm households in the study area will obtain sufficient education, credit accessibilities and also have to train farmers to make them understand the benefits obtained from adopting the new technologies. These bodies have also to arrange policy issues that improve farm labour participation of household members and also to arrange the ways in which farmers obtain means of income outside farming activities. Keywords: Agriculture, Farm household, Technology Adoption Logit, Propensity Score Matc