Analyzing constraints of smallholders' chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) production systems in Gondar Zuria Woreda of Ethiopia using the Henry Garrett’s ranking technique

Abstract

In Ethiopian, pulses are the second top most grain crops, of which chickpea takes the first place. However, chickpea production by smallholder farmers has been facing several constraints and this has not been adequately studied using the appropriate techniques. As a result, this study used Henry Garrett’s ranking technique to analyze and rank constraints in the production of chickpeas. . Using the multistage sampling technique, the data were gathered from 140 randomly chosen samples. The findings indicate the smallholder chickpea producers face input, marketing, economic, institutional, and environmental constraints. As to the Henry Garrett’s ranking, higher price of seed (65%), higher price of chemicals (64.3%), delays in supply of improved seed (64%), capital shortage (60.5%), shortage of improved seed (58%), and disease infestation (56.4%) are the major constraints noted in average values. It is noted that. The study concludes that ranking constraints using the Henry Garrett technique are better as compared to simple frequencies. Key prerequisites for a robust chickpea production include addressing of constraints relating to irregularity and shortage in the supply of improved chickpea seed varieties, higher cost of inputs, diseases and pests, and inability to access in-kind credit.