Factors Affecting Hot Pepper Production: The Case of Gursum District, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Ibsa Aliyi Usmane

doi:10.7176/fsqm/87-04

Abstract

Hot pepper is one of the vegetable crops which serves as spices, vegetables, cash crop and ensures food security as a result of its income generating crop. But this crop is devastating by different factors which reduce its production and quality. Therefore, this study intended to undertake factors affecting hot pepper production in Gursum district with the objectives of identifying factors affecting hot pepper production, and analyze linkages of its production with the household’s expenditures. The study used 150 households as sample respondents and collected primary data from them and secondary data from secondary sources, then analyzed data by mean, percentage and frequency. As a result, the finding shows that the factor affect the production of hot pepper are low price, second disease, lack of improved seed, lack of pesticide, knowledge management, lack of market access, lack of land and others like bird attack respectively. Moreover, the finding linked hot pepper production with household expenditures and found household expenses their income from hot pepper on purchasing grain, school fees, clothing, health care, festivities and others like dowry respectively. Therefore, the government and other stakeholder should focus on negotiating the market price of hot pepper and other factors hindering hot pepper production. Keywords : Hot pepper, Gursum, cash crop DOI : 10.7176/FSQM/87-04 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

Highlights

Hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is the world’s most important vegetable after tomato and used as fresh, dried or processed products, as vegetables and spices or condiments (Acquaah, 2004)
Low price of hot pepper production: the good price of any agricultural products helps farmers to capacitate in purchasing power, initiate the farmers to diversify their production, as a result, improve their livelihood and food security
In the study area farmers produce cash crops such as hot pepper, groundnut, chat and coffee. Among these cash crops that this research focused was hot pepper contribution in food security status of the household both in income generating, exchange with other grain crops, and consume it with the other food items. Even if this crop has this much contribution in food security it is affecting by different factors among which low price of the production discourages farmers to vast cultivation of hot pepper production

Summary

Introduction

Hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is the world’s most important vegetable after tomato and used as fresh, dried or processed products, as vegetables and spices or condiments (Acquaah, 2004) This crop is prominent cash crop for many developing countries’ farmers such as Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, China, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand (Shih-wen et al, 2013). Its importance is limited on consumption point of view and very prominent to farmers by generating income, creating employment opportunity and ensuring food security This enhances profitability of those who engaged in the production of pepper. Hot pepper has been cultivated in Ethiopia for long period of time It is the leading vegetable crop produced in the country. Giving focus for solving these problems come up with improvement of the production and productivity of hot pepper to ensure contributions of hot pepper to household food security in enhancing their purchasing capacity of food grain crops undertaking this study is important

Sampling techniques and sample size determination

Methods of Data Analysis

Constraints of Hot Pepper Production in Study Area

Linkages of hot pepper production to the household food security

Conclusion and Recommendations