Abstract
This study was carried out to examine access to rural road infrastructure and its effects on smallholder farmers’ agricultural productivity in Horro Guduru Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia. A three stage random sampling technique was employed to select 500 farming households in the study area and data was collected on their socio-economic and farm specific characteristics. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression analysis. The result of multiple regression model used revealed that distance to major market is important in predicting agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers at 5% levels of probability in Abe Dongoro, Amuru and Hababo Guduru districts. Ownership of intermediate means of transport was also found to influence agricultural productivity in Horro, Amuru and Hababo Guduru districts (p = 0.05). Further analysis of the regression model showed a significant negative correlation between distance to nearest all weather roads and distance to zonal head quarter on one hand and agricultural productivity on the other hand in Abe Dongoro, Hababo Guduru and Amuru districts. Rural kebeles of Abe Dongoro and Amuru districts which has vast agricultural potential were found to be the most inaccessible in Horro Guduru Wollega Zone. It is therefore suggested that interventions in the transport sector should include provision of rural roads as well as measures that will help improve vehicle supply in rural areas. An attempt has to be done also to increase the use of intermediate means of transport to ease agricultural inputs and outputs mobility and farm access.
Highlights
The overall development of agriculture depends on various supportive rural infrastructural facilities (Usman et al 2013)
90 AUC Geographica achieve required successes. It is against this background that this study examines the impact of rural road transport infrastructure on agricultural productivity in Horro Guduru Wollega Zone, western Ethiopia
This paper aims to fill that gap using cross-sectional data from the survey of 500 farming households in four districts of Horro Guduru Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia
Summary
The overall development of agriculture depends on various supportive rural infrastructural facilities (Usman et al 2013). It is clear that development of rural infrastructure generally contributes significantly to the level and quality of rural development. Countries that have developed their rural infrastructure have recorded higher and better quality of rural development than those that have failed to do so (Economic Commission for Africa 2013). The transport system is fundamental to economic and social development in rural areas, and significant investment is required to ensure it is of a suitable level. Transport is considered as a key factor involved in agricultural development all over the world. It is the only means by which food produced at farm site is moved to different homes as well as markets. Road transport is the most predominant mode of transportation in all over the world and this is a confirmation of the crucial role transport plays in the socio-economic development of a nation (Ajiboye, Afolayan 2009)
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