Abstract
Ethiopia implemented several extensions approach to the agricultural sector since mid-1960s. This paper reviews the literatures on agricultural extension systems in Ethiopia and provides an overview of recent evidence on agricultural extension systems and explore the conceptual suggestion in technology dissemination and popularization. Farmer production clusters is a group of farmers who work together on shared interests and towards a common goal and these groups of farmers are required to adopt the latest full-package farm recommendations. The agricultural commercialization cluster initiative in Ethiopia across the four major agricultural regions of the country in Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and SNNPR is implemented with the aim of improving livelihoods, food quality and affordability, import substitution, export and agro-processing and creation of job opportunities. The observed data from ATA and CSA, 2019/20 in major crops on wheat, maize, barley, tef and sesame production in Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and SNNPR regions revealed that only 5.19% of farmers are part of farmers production cluster and 7.21% areas of land is cultivated through cluster farming. Hence, both governmental and non-governmental organization should focus on increasing the number participant farmers and areas to be allocated under cluster farming. In addition, emphasis should be given to the provisions of effective and efficient extension services with the full production package and on creating market linkages to improve farmers livelihoods through operation of cluster farming. Keywords: Agricultural extension, agricultural technology, livelihoods, and cluster farming DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/11-14-01 Publication date: July 31 st 2021
Highlights
Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa next to Nigeria and ranked 12th in the world, with an estimated population of 112,078,730 [1]
Farmer Production Clusters: It’s a group of farmers who work to gather on shared interests and toward a common goal
The agricultural commercialization clusters initiative contains clearly defined geographic clusters specializing in priority commodities across the four major agricultural regions of Ethiopia
Summary
Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa next to Nigeria and ranked 12th in the world, with an estimated population of 112,078,730 [1]. The ACC focuses on interventions that improve land productivity while reducing degradation, improve access to the domestic and international market, increase agro-processing and value-added activities, and create off-farm employment opportunities [12] Through these interventions, the ACC program aims to commercialize smallholder agriculture through an inclusive and environmentally sustainable approach, improving incomes for the rural population while increasing youth employment and women’s empowerment. The ACC has five strategic objectives: Improved livelihoods: enable a sustainable increase in smallholder farmer productivity and profitability to increase income; Food quality and affordability: support quality output at an affordable price to domestic consumers; Import substitution: bridge gap between demand and supply by increasing production and marketable surplus; Export and agro-processing: increase the quality and amount supplied to agro-processing and export to raise foreign exchange; and Job opportunities: enable the agriculture sector to create meaningful jobs both on- and off-farm [12]. In 2019/20 production year, over 384,200 farmers are part of 6,304 FPCs in Amhara and have cultivated over 155,142 hectares of land (Table 1)
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