An assessment on the role of women in agriculture in Southern Nation Nationality People’s Region: The case of Halaba Special Woreda, Ethiopia

The study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the role of women in agriculture in Halaba Woreda. Based on the out put of this study, the contribution levels of women were identified. The study result showed that women’s contributes 46% of labor to agricultural activities. Men, boys and girls also participate in agricultural activities. However, women’s work in the agricultural activities documented as marginal and they have been considered more as consumers than as producers. More than 89% of the Halaba population is residing in the rural parts of the Woreda and half of the population is women. According to the study analyzed that rural women spend their time in productive activities, which directly benefit their families and society in economic terms. The study showed that the average day for a rural women in Halaba involves food processing, water and fuel wood collection, assisting family farm, marketing and labor exchange for community services. Also the level of participation as women’s labor is more participating in agricultural activities, community services and contributing more in securing their household members food demand than other household members do. But women receive no remuneration for their labor, no monetary or maternal gains and no benefits in leisure time and improved living conditions. Women suffer from discriminatory practices that prevent them from accessing land in the same way and extent as men. As such, men control land and women gain access to land mainly through either inheritance, their male relatives or in that of their husband. . In general the contributing factors that influences women’s role in agriculture depends upon the women’s dependence on their husband. The other one is illiteracy, ignorance, low socio-economic status and traditional religious and cultural dominance and low political participation in the community. Also, in the study area there were few supporting organizations to promote women in agricultural activities and empower them. However, those that do not have a specific gender focus, but undertake some single or combined gender –related activities which are generally mother and child care, nutrition, water, girls’ education, women savings and credit facilities. The study analyzed that those few NGOs and government organizations that have attempted to tackle gender issues have encountered serious problems of resource availability, limited technical capacity, poor organization and lack of coordination, which have made it impossible to streamline their gender concerns in a concrete way into effective programmed interventions

Pullet production and supply business development by women’s groups in selected kebeles of Dale pilot learning district (PLW): Experiences from IPMS

Shortage of pullet supply and high mortality of local chicks arising from diseases and inadequate feed were the main challenges identified through a rapid diagnostic survey on the poultry value chain in Dale. Accordingly, women group-based commercial pullet rearing as an input for smallholder poultry production was initiated by the Office of Agriculture and Rural Development (OoARD) and IPMS. To develop the program, a credit scheme was initiated using IPMS’s credit innovation funds. With assistance of OoARD, eighty women subdivided into five (village) groups, collectively purchased 4000 day-old chicks (50/woman) and other inputs such as feed, vaccines, hay box brooder and watering equipment. The women were trained and developed their skills through their group structures. The required vaccinations were also given by the women themselves under the auspices of the group structures. After 4–5 months, 3470 pullets survived and were kept by the women or sold to others for egg producers. Empirical results show that: i) the group approach helped to improve linkages, communication, and access to knowledge, technology, finance, inputs (day-old chicks and feed), veterinary service, and market; ii) the groups were able to successfully produce and supply pullets thus making an additional income of Ethiopian birr (ETB) 833/hh; iii) the approach stimulates growing demand for the 5 months-old pullets, especially by government/donor financed programs. While being technically and economically viable, the system requires institutional upgrading so as to ensure sustainability of input supply (chicks, feed and vaccine/drugs). The commitment shown by WoARD to provide technical backstopping in all aspects of poultry production also leaves much to be desired. These are crucial at least for the first few cycles, while more emphasis should be given to promoting improved local birds. As the follow-up studies on subsequent egg production showed, considerable attention needs to be paid to building the capacity of poultry farmers to engage in semi-commercial egg production, since egg production was still far below its potential. The study also shows that a difference of as high as 35% existed between egg production level by households who had purchased the pullets privately and households who had received the pullets through food security funded projects in Dale area

Pullet production and supply business development by women’s groups in selected kebeles of Dale pilot learning woreda: Experiences from IPMS

Shortage of pullet supply and high mortality of local chicks arising from diseases and inadequate feed were the main challenges identified through a rapid diagnostic survey on the poultry value chain in Dale. Accordingly, women group-based commercial pullet rearing as an input for smallholder poultry production was initiated by the Office of Agriculture and Rural Development (OoARD) and IPMS. To develop the program, a credit scheme was initiated by the Regional Rural Finance Fund Administration, using IPMS’s credit innovation funds. With assistance of OoARD, eighty women subdivided into five (village) groups, collectively purchased 4000 day-old chicks (50/woman) and other inputs such as feed, vaccines, hay box brooder and watering equipment. The women were trained and developed their skills through their group structures. The required vaccinations were also given by the women themselves under the auspices of the group structures that taught them how to make best use of available vaccine size (500 doses/vial). After 4–5 months, 3470 pullets survived and were kept by the women or sold to others for egg production. Empirical results show that: i) the group approach helped to improve linkages, communication, and access to knowledge, technology, finance, inputs (day-old chicks and feed), veterinary service, and market; ii) the groups were able to successfully produce and supply pullets thus making an additional income of Ethiopian birr (ETB)1 833/hh; iii) the approach stimulates growing demand for the 5 months-old pullets, especially by government/donor financed programs. While being technically and economically viable, the system requires institutional upgrading so as to ensure sustainability of input supply (chicks, feed and vaccine/drugs) at the nearest market both for pullet and egg producers. The commitment shown by WoARD to provide technical backstopping in all aspects of poultry production also leaves much to be desired. These are crucial at least for the first few cycles, while more emphasis should be given to promoting improved local birds. As the follow-up studies on subsequent egg production showed, considerable attention needs to be paid to building the capacity of poultry farmers to engage in semi-commercial egg production, since egg production was still far below its potential. The study also shows that a difference of as high as 35% existed between egg production level by households who had purchased the pullets privately and households who had received the pullets through food security funded projects in Dale area

Consumer Trust in Extension as a Source of Biotech Food Information

A mail questionnaire survey was used to collect data on the sources that consumers used for gathering information about biotech food products and nutrition issues. Using responses from 250 randomly selected consumers from three states, this article (1) examines the media and sources from where consumers obtained food products and nutrition information and (2) estimates the level of trust that consumers put on Extension professionals as a source of information. Newspapers, television, magazines, and word-of-mouth were frequently used to gather food products and nutrition information. Extension professionals were ranked as the third most trusted source of information by consumers

Smallholder dairy farming systems in the highlands of Ethiopia: System-specific constraints and intervention options

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