Total Livestock Units Research Articles

How sustainable are agricultural practices in European Union countries? A spherical fuzzy logic based evaluation

ABSTRACT Climate change and population growth have heightened the need for a comprehensive framework to analyse the environmental impacts of agricultural practices. While traditional agricultural activities have detrimental environmental effects such as soil degradation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable agriculture is an innovative approach to minimizing humanity’s significant problems, such as depletion of natural resources, climate change, and biodiversity loss. In this study, a model is developed to evaluate the agri-environmental performance of countries. This model evaluates and ranks countries using the spherical fuzzy analytical hierarchy process and grey relational analysis methods within the European Union’s agri-environmental indicators framework. This study is among the pioneering studies to utilise the spherical fuzzy logic approach for determining the relative importance of agri-environmental performance criteria. The findings reveal that crucial factors such as the irrigable utilised agricultural area, the sales of pesticides per utilised agricultural area, and the share of main livestock types in total livestock units are critical to agri-environmental performance. In addition, in the implementation phase of the study, the performances of the European Union member countries are evaluated using the proposed model. This constitutes another contribution of the research. The results of this study indicate that Finland, Lithuania, and Sweden are the frontrunners in agri-environmental performance, while Italy, the Netherlands, and Malta rank lower. The model developed in this study has far-reaching implications for developing targeted environmental protection policies and advancing sustainable agricultural practices on a global scale.

Impact of credit use on crop productivity and gross income of smallholder farmers: a propensity score matching approach

BackgroundAgriculture is Ethiopia’s principal economic activity, employing the vast majority of the population, however, smallholder farmers in the country face long-standing challenges, including low levels of production, low income, and less credit use. This study aimed to analyze the impact of access to credit on crop productivity and income among small-scale farmers in the study area.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study from January 1st to 30th, 2022. Primary data were collected from purposely selected seven (7) kebele of the district based on potential users of agricultural credit. Then the impact was investigated by applying the propensity score matching technique. A Probit regression model was used to determine factors associated with credit use. The significance of the variables was decided at a 5% level of significance.ResultsIn our study, a total sample of 347 smallholder farmers were randomly selected, out of which 42.9% were credit-users while 59.1% were non-users. Regarding sources of credit use, Vision Fund was the most commonly used source of credit with 67.8% of users, followed by the Omo Microfinance institution with 22.1%. Sex of the farmer, age of the farmer, existence collateral, farm size, attitude towards risk, extension service, membership in credit institutions, road access, and number of total livestock units in tropical livestock units (TLU) had significant effects on credit use at a 5% level of significance. Moreover, the estimates showed that utilizing credit resulted in a rise in crop productivity in current market value and total yearly income by 19,302.44 and 18,009.63 respectively.ConclusionOur study suggested that credit use had a considerable impact on crop productivity and total annual income. As a result, the study recommended that the government’s rural finance policy agenda should prioritize opening different branches near farmers, improving credit usability, and providing more training programs to smallholder farmers to improve their skills and help reduce the problems that impede their use of agricultural credit.

Influence of Small-Scale Irrigation on Livelihoods of Rural Farm Households in the Case of Legehida District, Ethiopia.

Irrigation development, particularly small-scale irrigation, is one of the most important projects for improving agricultural productivity in a country's rural communities. The extent to which small-scale irrigation has improved household livelihoods in Ethiopia's rural areas is not widely recognized. As a result, research on the influence of small-scale irrigation on farmers' livelihoods in the Legehida district will be sought. The study took a "with" and "without" strategy, comparing farmers who used irrigation against those who did not. For analysis, both quantitative and qualitative data were employed. The survey's respondents were chosen using a random sample approach from both irrigation users and nonuser households. Quantitative data for the study were collected from randomly selected 241 farm households, of which 113 were users and 128 were nonusers, using a semistructured questionnaire. Accordingly, the propensity score matching model was employed to examine the impacts of small-scale irrigation on farmers' livelihoods. The logit model result indicates that cultivated land size, off-farm income, education level, family size, dependency ratio, total livestock unit, and distance to the nearest agricultural extension office/FTC are determinant factors in determining whether to practice irrigation when other factors remain constant. The impact of irrigation on a household's income and food security (in terms of daily calorie intake) was evaluated using a propensity score matching model. The result shows that a positive and significant impact on farmers who use small-scale irrigation has increased the daily calorie intake and annual income of households by 244.162 kilocalories and 5234.258 ETB, respectively, as compared to nonirrigation users. This shows that households that participate in small-scale irrigation activities have a higher annual income and food security status than comparable groups. In general, the study recommends that to reduce food insecurity and the socioeconomic problems of rural households, irrigation farming is one of the viable solutions; therefore, the government and nongovernmental organizations should extensively focus on the enhancement of small-scale irrigation infrastructure, policies, strategies, and extension services to increase productivity, income, and livelihood improvement in rural households.

Drivers of extent of commercialization of potato farming through digital marketing platforms in Nakuru County, Kenya

Digital agricultural marketing platforms have emerged as one of the key tools for facilitating farmers’ access to markets. While previous studies have predominantly focused on examining factors influencing adoption of these platforms, there remains a gap in understanding factors that determine the proportion of a farmer’s produce marketed through the platforms. This knowledge is crucial for effective scaling up of digital marketing platforms. Consequently, this research aimed to evaluate the extent of commercialization of potato farming through Digital Agricultural Marketing Platforms (DAMPs), with a specific focus on the M-shamba platform in Kenya. To achieve this objective, data was collected in 2022 from a sample of 375 potato farmers from Nakuru County. The data was analyzed with Stata using probit and Tobit models through the conditional mixed process. The findings revealed that total farm income, price per kilogram of output, access to credit, size of the farm dedicated to potato cultivation, and age of the household head influenced the use of M-shamba platform. Further, the extent of commercialization through M-shamba was significantly determined by total livestock units, marketing decision-maker, having potato farming as primary enterprise, farm income, access to credit, membership to agricultural groups, and age of the household head. In light of these findings, the study recommends targeted support and training programs for older farmers to enhance their proficiency in utilizing DAMPs. Moreover, policies and initiatives aimed at increasing farm income should be implemented to assist farmers with limited incomes. Farmers in groups should be encouraged to participate in collective digital marketing efforts.

Determinants of agricultural knowledge and information usage to achieve SDGs: Misrak Badawacho district, Southern Ethiopia

This study aimed to assess the factors influencing the utilization of agricultural knowledge and information to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Misrak Badawacho District, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia. A survey was conducted among 220 households using closed-ended and semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used for data analysis. The study examined independent variables, such as sex, age, education level, family size, land ownership, livestock holding, annual income, cell phone ownership, access to agricultural information, training, credit, markets, cosmopolitanism, and farmers' perceptions. The dependent variables were the use of agricultural information and knowledge. The findings revealed that ten variables significantly influenced farmers' utilization of agricultural knowledge and information to achieve the SDGs. While age and access to credit were found to have a negative impact on farmers' utilization of agricultural knowledge and information, variables such as sex, TLU (Total Livestock Units), annual income, cell phone ownership, access to agricultural information, access to marketplaces, cosmopolitanism, and farmers’ perceptions had a positive influence on their utilization. Based on these results, the researchers recommend that farmers have access to education, training, information, market opportunities, credit, and collaborations with stakeholders to enhance the utilization of agricultural knowledge and information.

Some Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Technical Efficiency—The Example of European Union Agriculture

The main objective of this article is to better understand the category of technical efficiency of agriculture. To achieve this goal, empirical research was carried out, the subject of which was to estimate the average technical efficiency of agriculture in the European Union in the years 2004–2020. The technical efficiency of agriculture was estimated using the Data Envelopment Analysis method–Cooper Rhodes Input Oriented model. In order to estimate the level of technical efficiency, the value of Total output was adopted as the output, and the following inputs were adopted: Total Utilized Agricultural Area, Fertilizers, Plant protection products, Total livestock units, Feed for grazing animals, Labor inputs, Machinery and equipment, and Gross expenditure on fixed assets. The conclusions from the literature review indicate that technical efficiency is the main determinant of economic efficiency. The conclusions from empirical research have shown that agriculture in the European Union is characterized by a high level of technical efficiency for 2004–2020, TE = 90.24%. Moreover, the technical efficiency of farms was checked according to classes of economic size. The obtained results only partially confirm that the increase in the economic size of a farm increases its technical efficiency, because the highest level of technical efficiency is characteristic of farms that belong to the classes very small and very large.

Can 100% Pasture-Based Livestock Farming Produce Enough Ruminant Meat to Meet the Current Consumption Demand in the UK?

Grassland is grouped into temporary, permanent, and rough grazing types in the United Kingdom (UK), making up more than 60% of the national agricultural land area. It provides avenues for grazed fodder or ensiled forage contributing a large proportion of the diets consumed by cattle and sheep. The official agricultural census data in 2011 to 2020 showed that, on average, UK cattle and sheep farming can produce meat to satisfy 83.3 and 100.8% of domestic cattle beef and sheep meat consumption levels, respectively. Out of the large agricultural census datasets, we used the populations of cattle and sheep, as well as the UK definition of a standard livestock unit (SLU), to normalise the respective herd populations into a total standard livestock unit (TSLU). We then used the annual domestic meat production in dressed carcass weight to calculate cattle and sheep meat productivity per SLU. Using the potential herbal dry matter yields per year and areas of the different grassland types across the UK, the potential total available pasture feed was calculated. This potential production of herbal biomass was translated into the potential carrying capacity expressed in a TSLU. This total potential carrying capacity was partitioned into cattle and sheep sectors so that the routes of pasture-based-only options with which to produce ruminant meat to meet the current UK domestic consumption demands were assessed. The estimated mean potential annual pasture forage feed in 2011–2020 was approximately 82.0 million (M) metric tonnes (t), which can be translated into a potential carrying capacity of 17.9 M SLUs compared with the current mean 9.36 M SLUs in the survey data of the UK. With the ratio of sheep to cattle at 8.2:25 in the national TSLU, the UK national demands at present consumption levels of cattle and sheep meat can be arithmetically met with pasture grass utilisation rates at or above 65% and 50% by cattle and sheep farming systems, respectively.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of optrA-Positive-Enterococcus faecalis in Different Reservoirs around Farms in Vietnam.

Linezolid is an antibiotic of last resort for the treatment of infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Enterococcus faecalis, a member of enterococci, is a significant pathogen in nosocomial infections. E. faecalis resistance to linezolid is frequently related to the presence of optrA, which is often co-carried with fex, phenicol exporter genes, and erm genes encoding macrolide resistance. Therefore, the common use of antibiotics in veterinary might promote the occurrence of optrA in livestock settings. This is a cross-sectional study aiming to investigate the prevalence of optrA positive E. faecalis (OPEfs) in 6 reservoirs in farms in Ha Nam province, Vietnam, and its associated factors and to explore genetic relationships of OPEfs isolates. Among 639 collected samples, the prevalence of OPEfs was highest in flies, 46.8% (51/109), followed by chickens 37.3% (72/193), dogs 33.3% (17/51), humans 18.7% (26/139), wastewater 16.4% (11/67) and pigs 11.3%, (14/80). The total feeding area and total livestock unit of the farm were associated with the presence of OPEfs in chickens, flies, and wastewater. Among 186 OPEfs strains, 86% were resistant to linezolid. The presence of optrA was also related to the resistant phenotype against linezolid and levofloxacin of E. faecalis isolates. Close genotypic relationships identified by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis between OPEfs isolates recovered from flies and other reservoirs including chickens, pigs, dogs, and wastewater suggested the role of flies in the transmission of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. These results provided warnings of linezolid resistance although it is not used in livestock.

Determinants of smallholder livestock farmers’ adoption decisions of improved fodder technologies in Insiza District

The study investigated the factors that influence the extent of the use of fodder technologies in the Insiza District of Zimbabwe, as well as the reasons for their low adoption and the lower participation of women than men in fodder interventions. A mixed methods approach was used and data were collected using a structured questionnaire, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. The multi-stage sampling approach was used to generate a sample of 224 respondents who received training on fodder production from the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) intervention. Using the ordered probit regression model, factors such as gender, education level attained, cattle herd size, total livestock units, land size, willingness to invest more in fodder, engagement in farm enterprises, and intensity of collaborations were found to significantly influence the number of improved fodder technologies adopted. In addition, farmers perceived that fodder technologies are beneficial. The imposition of externally determined innovations, as well as the scarcity of seed for fodder crops, were cited as the primary reasons for the low adoption of fodder technologies promoted prior to the ZRBF intervention. Findings also suggested the existence of gender-specific constraints emanating from the prevalence of a powerful patriarchal culture as the major factor limiting women’s participation in fodder interventions relative to men. Thus, the study recommends that the ZRBF and the government design well-packaged rural development policies, promote equitable gender participation and adopt participatory approaches when proffering solutions to local community problems. The study’s original contributions include the use of a mixed methods approach, a focus on the extent of fodder technology adoption rather than the probability of adoption, and an investigation into the reasons for women’s lower participation than men in fodder intervention.

Determinants of Niger Seed Commercialization in the Jabitehenan District, West Gojjam Zone, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s oil seed industry is expanding swiftly to meet rising domestic and foreign demand, assisting the country in generating foreign exchange earnings and income. This study aimed to quantify the level of household commercialization of Niger seed output and analyze the determinants affecting it. This research utilized a three-stage random sampling technique to gather quantitative and qualitative data from primary and secondary sources. The primary data came from sampled households through a semi-structured interview. Moreover, 150 samples were selected randomly. Descriptive statistics and the Tobit censored regression model were utilized to analyze the data. SPSS version 20 and STATA 13 software were also employed. The average level of Niger seed commercialization in the area was 0.71%. Several determinants, including the amount of Niger seed output, market information, frequency of extension service, training access, age, and total livestock unit, influenced the level Niger seed. The regional government and district leaders should strengthen the provision of different training to raise the production, productivity, and level of Niger seed commercialization by enhancing the marketable surplus of Niger seeds.

Determinants of rural households’ livelihood diversification strategies: In the case of north Wollo zone, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia

Diversifying rural livelihoods plays a significant role for rain feed-dependent economy of the rural households like in Ethiopia. Hence the objective of the study was to investigate the determinants of rural households’ livelihood diversification strategies choice in north wollo zone of Ethiopia. A multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used to select 384 rural household heads as a sample in study areas. Primary data was collected from sample rural household heads using an interview schedule. Multivariate Probit Model was employed to identify the factors influencing the rural household heads’ decision to choose livelihood strategies. The model result showed that agriculture livelihood strategy was positively and significantly associated with male headed household, land holding, cooperative membership, and participation in rural productive safety net program; while it is negatively and significantly affected by distance to market. Non-farm livelihood strategy was positively and significantly affected by dependency ratio, education level, total income, and remittance; while it is negatively and significantly affected by the sex of household head and participation in rural productive safety net program. Off-farm livelihood strategy was positively and significantly influenced by sex of household head; while it is negatively and significantly affected by the land holding, total livestock unit, cooperative membership, credit use, participation in rural productive safety net program. Therefore, the study recommends that local government should attempt to promote the above significant determinants of rural households’ livelihood diversification strategies choice to build more profitable and sustainable livelihood strategies.

Analysis of Head Cabbage Value Chain in Guji Zone, Southern Oromia, Ethiopia

Cabbage is highly nutritious, and it is an economically important vegetable in Ethiopia which is widely cultivated in Guji zone especially at highland districts. The study was aimed to analysis head cabbage value chain with the specific objectives of identifying actors, estimate marketing cost and margins identify determinants of market outlets choice decisions and head cabbage market supply in the study area. Data were collected from 128 farmers, 25 traders and 15 consumers and analyzed. Identified actors include input suppliers, producers, rural collectors, brokers/dealers, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers by which 94.63% of product pass through. The highest total gross margins 48.1% and highest producer gross marketing margin of 68.2% was recorded in channel V and II respectively. Total livestock unit, area allocated to head cabbage, market information and market distance as important factors affecting head cabbage market supply in the study area. Family size, land total, total livestock unit, transport facility, production experience, area allocated to head cabbage, extension service, training, credit access, off farm income and selling price determine market outlet choice decision of head cabbage producers in the study area. This study suggests improving farmers’ knowledge and experience on head cabbage production and marketing, encouraging producers through extension service, land allocation for head cabbage, improving productivity and volume sales, improving market information access, expanding accessibility of market infrastructure and strengthening supportive institutions like credit access. In addition to this, it shall be better to improve the farmers’ market margins by strengthening farmers-traders linkage through reducing brokers’ exploitation and solving related production and marketing problems there by establishing centers for wholesalers and retailers and linking producers with institution like university make producer more profitable in the study area.

Adoption and Intensity of Adoption of Beekeeping Technology by Farmers: The Case of Sheko Woreda of Bench-Maji Zone, South west Ethiopia

Beekeeping delivers the rural people with sources of income, dietary use, pollination service and social benefit. In spite of the benefits obtained from beekeeping, farmer’s resistivity to adopt the recommended modern beekeeping technological components (packages) is among the major problem. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to examine the intensity of adoption of beekeeping technology package, and identify factors influencing adoption and intensity of adoption of bee keeping technology package in Sheko district. Stratified sampling procedure was used to select sample households. A total of 200 household heads were selected randomly from adopters and non-adopters categories of four potential beekeeping localities. Date was collected by using household survey and key informant interview and analyzed by using censured Tobit model. From sampled households 68% of respondents who have bee hive; the majority of them fall under medium adopters’ category. Variations in intensity of adoption of bee hive components were observed among adopter category. The output of censured Tobit model was indicate that six variables such as total livestock unit, apiary site visit by farmer, perceived cost of technology by farmer, distance of market center from home, knowledge of farmers for bee management and availability of bee hive technology were found to have significant influence on adoption and intensity of adoption of bee hive technological package. Therefore, agricultural policy and development interventions should give emphasis to the improvement of institutional support system so as to achieve wider adoption and intensity of adoption for small scale farmers. Keywords: Adopters, livestock unit, non-adopters, Tobit Model DOI: 10.7176/ALST/97-03 Publication date: January 31 st 2023

The economic valuation of Gedo Natural Forest conservation benefits, Ethiopia

Forest ecosystem economic valuation is responsible for ecologically aware and reasonable gains to the country and particularly to the surrounding groups through different means. Thus, the central objective of this study was to analyze the economic valuation Gedo Natural Forest conservation benefits of using the contingent valuation method. Both primary and secondary data were employed in this study. The interview responses of 342 households nominated from three kebeles around Gedo natural forest were collected in purpose and random sampling procedures through a semi-structure questionnaire. The mean willingness to pay calculated by means of Krinsky–Robb technique after running of Seemingly Unrelated Bivariate Probit Regression from the dichotomous choice format and open-ended questions was 24.97 and 23.91 birr per year, respectively. The outcomes of Tobit model show that the total livestock unit, total annual income of the household, and the amount of credit utilization are meaningful variables positively and significantly related to the likelihood of willingness to pay for the conservation benefits of Gedo natural forest. On the other hand, the households’ family size, the households’ age, and initial bid value were other important variables negatively and significantly influence households’ willingness to pay for the conservation benefits of Gedo natural forest. The liable body could, therefore, apply the scenario of willingness to pay in the study area, so that the Gedo natural forest could be conserved, measurable benefit to the households could be practical, and future awareness of respective household could be raised.

Micro-level analysis of climate-smart agriculture adoption and effect on household food security in semi-arid Nakasongola District in Uganda

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is fronted as a sustainable, transformative, and technologically innovative approach that increases agricultural productivity, income and enhances greenhouse gas mitigation. However, there is limited micro-level evidence on the effects of the adoption of CSA on food security despite intensified promotion efforts in Uganda. A cross-sectional household survey among 165 respondents, undertaken in August–September 2020, was used to collect requisite data. Principal component analysis (PCA) with iteration and varimax rotation and analysis of variance were used in characterizing CSA practices. An ordered logit model was applied to identify the reported levels of CSA utility. Meanwhile, an endogenous switching regression was adopted to determine the effect of CSA adoption on household food security. Results showed that households used a combination of practices, including soil and water management, pasture management, livestock productivity and disease management. The PCA results revealed six major categories for the 16 most commonly used CSA practice combinations. The key factors that influenced the adoption of CSA practices among households included; access to climate information, total livestock units, ownership of non-livestock assets, and participation in off-farm activities. Results also revealed that the expected food consumption scores (FCS) for adopters and non-adopters were 53.87 and 66.92 respectively. However, when adopters and non-adopters were compared, we found that the adopters of CSA practices would have had a significantly lower counterfactual FCS had they not adopted CSA. While the adoption levels of CSA in this study is low, the counterfactual effects have shown that households that adopted CSA would have had a lower FCS and therefore lower food security status had they not adopted CSA. We recommend CSA promotional efforts that give more attention to combined CSA practices and respond to local production constraints.

Food security status and determinants in North-Eastern rift valley of Ethiopia

“Food insecurity is a major problem in Ethiopia due to frequent droughts in a country where farmers depend on rain fed agriculture”. It is affecting the population that usually experiences food shortage even at the optimal conditions of weather and market in the area. Agro-pastoral areas are characterized by frequent calamities, and lack of adequate infrastructure, social services and institutions in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was designed to analyze the food security status and determinants of the agro-pastoral community in north-eastern rift valley of Ethiopia. A total of 337 households were selected using simple random sampling techniques. Various descriptive techniques were used to analyze the data. The Foster–Greer–Thorbecke model was employed to estimate the food security indices and the headcount ratio. The finding revealed that, about 64% of the sampled households were found to be food insecure. Based on the logit regression model; age, marital status and family size were negatively affected the household food security. Whereas, irrigation land use, livestock ownership and access to credit were affected positively. Thus, it can be concluded that equally promoting male and female agro-pastoral communities in food and nutrition security should be a public issue for accessing sustainable food. Fundamentally, the finding is focused on the need for coordinated policy actions including family planning, providing household credit services, crop insurance and using total livestock units, technology adoption and supporting income diversification. Therefore, future intervention plans should focus on capacity building through enhancing their access to human, financial and physical capital.

English

Maize is the most important cereal crop in Ethiopia in terms of plantation area, production volume, and economic importance for food security. Despite the relative yield increment at the national level, maize production in the study area has been hindered by a couple of factors. This study was conducted to assess and evaluate maize production constraints in the Hawassa Zuria district. Primary data was collected from 60 randomly selected maize producers. Accordingly, socioeconomic factors such as sex (β = -2.02), educational level (β = 0.18), total livestock unit (TLU) (β = 0.27), and major income source (β for agriculture = 2.75 and β for private works = 3.05) could significantly influence maize production and productivity at 1% probability level. The institutional factors such as access to agricultural inputs, extension services, credit, irrigation, and membership in rural cooperatives; and agronomic factors such as fertilizer use, planting density, weeding frequency, tillage mechanisms, and pest and disease infestation were identified as the major challenges likely influencing maize production in the study area. Based on the study outcomes, policy recommendation is made such as improving the educational level, enhancing input access and empowering farmers to adopt and apply a full package of agronomic practices that help to improve soil fertility and thus crop productivity. As a result, addressing these constraints would be critical to improving food production. Key words: Agronomic factors, determinants, maize, multiple linear regression, production and productivity, policy recommendation.

A Bayesian zero-one inflated beta modeling of dairy farmers’ decision to sell nothing or some output through contract farming

AbstractSmallholder farmers’ preferences for participation in contract farming may take the form of proportional data––whereby farmers only sell some proportions or fractions of their output to contractors. We analyze determinants for preferences for zero (potential corner solution) and proportional amounts of milk that farmers sell through contract farming, using dairy farmers’ data from Zambia. Bayesian linear, linear probability, and hurdle models are compared with a Bayesian zero-one inflated beta regression. Monte Carlo simulations show that alternative models are biased. Meanwhile, empirical findings suggest that gender and marital status of the household head, household size, and delayed payment significantly drive preferences for proportional milk sales in contract farming. Additionally, household size, experience selling through milk collection centers, total livestock units, access to dairy marketing information, and a buyer's milk price, among others, tend to affect zero-inflated outcomes. We recommend a Bayesian zero-one inflated beta regression model for proportional data and also provide strategies to overcome farmer-engagement barriers in contract farming.

Determinants of Sesame Market Supply in West Omo and Bench Sheko Zones, Southwest Ethiopia

Farmers depend on sesame farming as their major source of income in West Omo and Bench Sheko zones. However, they face diverse marketing challenges to deliver their product to the market. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the variables that affect sesame market supply in West Omo and Bench Sheko zones. The study’s data were gathered from primary and secondary sources. Multistage random sampling was employed to select 270 sample sesame producers. The analysis was done using descriptive statistics as well as econometric models. Multiple regression model results showed that total livestock unit, sesame farming experience, cooperative membership, family size, land under sesame, annual off-farm income, participation in training, and distance to the nearest market significantly affected the amount of sesame supplied to the market. The study recommends strengthening sesame producer cooperative, promoting experience sharing among experienced farmers, improving transportation accessibility and infrastructure development, increasing productivity by fortifying extension service providers, and encouraging sesame producers to participate actively in various trainings.

Human–wildlife conflict in the surrounding districts of Alage College, Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

The study was conducted between September 2018 and March 2019 to investigate the nature and extent of human–wildlife conflict (HWC) in the surrounding area of Alage College, the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia, and to assess the perception of the local people to wildlife. For data collection, a total of 140 household (HH) heads were selected randomly for interviews from nine villages using structured and semi‐structured questionnaires. Moreover, focus group discussion, key informant interviews, and personal observation were carried out to obtain additional information. Descriptive statistics, Chi‐square test (2 tailed), one‐way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Likert scale statements were used to analyze the data. Based on, 66 (47.1%) of the respondents, HH heads, the local people of the area experienced livestock predation leading to HWC. Whereas, (40.7%, n = 57) of the respondents perceived both crop damage and livestock predation as a cause of conflict. A total of 932.43 total livestock unit of livestock and 218 dogs’ losses were reported by HH due to predators over the last 5 years. Thus, the largest number of livestock (89.9%) and dogs (100%) attacks was happened due to spotted hyenas. Nearly half of the respondents (49.3%, n = 69) ranked warthogs as the primary crop raiders, while the majority of respondents (82.1%, n = 115) reported maize as a severely damaged cereal crop. More than half, (57.1%, n = 80) of respondents used different methods simultaneously to minimize damage caused by wild animals. About half, (48.6%, n = 68) of respondents had a negative attitude toward wildlife conservation. The level of education and amount of money imposed as a penalty for illegal grazing were affecting the local community's attitudes to wildlife conservation. Using effective methods to reduce damage and loss to crops, including improved livestock husbandry and creating better awareness to the local community could make the locals actor of conservation.