major problems of agriculture in ethiopia

It caused severe loss of fertile soil and disturbs the sustainability of land resources due to the low supply of organic matter (Gashaw et al., 2014; Taddese, 2001). This is why they are unable to sustain the demand of rising rural population density as the farm sizes declined (Josephson et al., 2014). The result: crop yields have shot up, growth in agriculture has averaged 7% per year over the past decade and millions of farmers have been lifted out of poverty. Ethiopia has a high-level strategy to pursue agriculture-based industrialisation with a goal of achieving middle income country status by 2025 with no net increase in carbon emissions. Generally, the landless farmers become at risk in Ethiopia at this moment than the previous feudal systems or before the Derge regime. What are the major problem of agriculture in Ethiopia? Today, Ethiopia faces high levels of food insecurity, ranking as one of the hungriest countries in the world, with an estimated 5.2 million people needing food assistance in 2010. In FY 2017/2018, the United . Shortage of finance is one of the major problems facing small farmers. Deforestation 4. In some places high salinity and sodicity/alkalinity levels coupled with poor drainage of the soils are at present resulting in quite a large area of productive lands being abandoned from cultivation. Current challenges facing the global food system. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. This will improve the efficiency of food production, income, and environmental co-benefits (FAO, 2015). Vertically coordinated, more organized food systems offer standardized food for urban areas and formal employment opportunities for both rural and urban areas. ATA (Agricultural Transformation Agency). ZEFdiscussion papers on development policy, The causes, consequences and remedies of deforestation in Ethiopia. While agriculture currently accounts for about 25% of greenhouse gas emissions, it also offers opportunities to both fight climate change and feed more people as the world's population grows to 10 billion people by 2050. Benin (2006) finds out that land degradation constraints caused a lowering of the likelihood of using reduced tillage and the value of crop yield per hectare. Although important it was, in Ethiopia, academic workers have never been recognized as important developmental issues. The same could be a blessing provided that natural resources could be utilized as it is needed by the labor force. This made the farmers unable to withstand seasonal risks of crop failure or animal deaths that even worsen the problem and force them to live in continuous poverty and are hopeless. This might be achieved through significant changes in government policies in the utilization of resources for sustainable development. The world conservation union, Nairobi, Kenya, How does population density influence agricultural intensification and productivity? It enhanced the integration of researchers affiliated on the crop improvements, conservation agriculture, agroecology, agroforestry, and the development of crop varieties that are more tolerant to pests, diseases, drought, waterlogging, and salinity (FAO, 2013). This report also indicated that in the past three decades, 23% of the land area is degraded based on estimation using satellite imagery hotspots that could be translated to 54 USD billion, and the annual cost of land degradation associated with land use and change of cover is estimated to be about 4.3 USD billion. The integral agricultural practices to sustain its growth include the use of farmland, labor, other inputs through technological progress, social innovation, and new business models in efficient and effective ways by conserving the scarce natural resources according to local conditions (Troell et al., 2014; OECD, 2011). The country is endowed with ample water resources in central, western, and southwestern parts, except dry parts of the northeastern and eastern parts which may even be supplied from the water-rich areas of the country. At the same time, the net farm income per hectare is not responsive to the rising of constraints. Ethiopia s agriculture is plagued by periodic drought, soil degradation caused by overgrazing, deforestation, high levels of taxation and poor infrastructure (making it difficult and expensive to get goods to market). UNDESA (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division). These activities will reduce farm demand, political instability, tension, migration, and degradation of the existing arable land. It was highly aggravated in the Middle East countries of the world (Figure 2). Limited technology and education are perhaps the largest difficulties that smallholder farmers in Ethiopia struggle with. Therefore, this paper is devoted to reviewing agricultural challenges and prospects in Ethiopia based on the available literature. Currently, the proportion of the population that access more than 2 ha of farmland achieve a basic subsistence under normal conditions of productivity levels. crop productions and animal rearing) took place. In Ethiopia, the land is allocated to farmers by the state. Your email address will not be published. These are the combined constraints that reduce the soil mass, productivity, health, soil quality, and fertility (Woreka, 2004). Poverty is the number 1 problem in Ethiopia. FAO (2016) indicated that in Ethiopia the water flows along the Nile Basin, Rift valley, Shebelli-Juba, and the Northeast coast has the potential to irrigate about 5.7 million ha., but at present, about 2.7 million ha is utilized. Around 80.0-85.0% of Ethiopians are engaged in agriculture, mainly in subsistence and rain-fed farming and livestock production. Therefore, improving the implementation of extension service in agronomic practices, afforestation, protection of livestock and crop plants, accessing financial support, and accessing time-based markets can improve the livelihood of the community (UNCTAD, 2017). Soil erosion is a serious problem in Ethiopia. Small-scale producers and landless households are the most vulnerable to climate change in Ethiopia. ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute). At the international, regional, national, and local levels, there is a direct correlation between food insecurity and poverty. It is proximity to Middle East markets is valuable to transport fresh products within a short period of time to the needed destination. However, traditional agriculture is inefficient to feed these populations unless further modifications are implemented in the policy of the country. CIA (Central intelligence agency) World Factbook. Despite numerous challenges of agricultural activities, Ethiopia has marvelous opportunities like a commercial farming investment on fruit, vegetable, ornamental plants, and beef; the huge number of the labor force, water resources, and proximity to the Middle East and other African countries to ship products within a short period of time. Their livelihood is mainly based on tilling and herding of mammals and birds with little transformation for a long period of time in history because of religion and cultural preference (Diriba, 2020). The variation of climate change in Ethiopia is not limited to rainfall but includes temperatures (Tables 7 and 8), relative humidity, wind, and others. The number of hot days and hot nights increased in this duration of the season (Asaminew & Diriba, 2015). It began with the domestication of crops and animals. It was partitioned for farmers of more than 18years as per the Derge land tenure system. Increasing food demands through intensive competition on the available natural resources are the root causes of increasing greenhouse gas emissions, massive deforestation, losses of flora and fauna species, and land degradation (FAO, 2016), soil nutrient depletion, water scarcities particularly freshwater, violations or conflicts of interest, shortage of food availability, disrupt access to food and health care and undermining of social protection systems are pushing many affected people back into poverty. Therefore, it requires committed and greater efforts of government and its people. Check out a sample Q&A here. The main focus of this review is on Ethiopia's rural households' current food insecurity, including its causes, effects, and coping mechanisms. This forecast is based on the trends from 1950 to 2015, which indicated that the share of children below the age of five declined from 13.4% to 9.1%, while above 65years life expectant increased from 5.1 to 8.3% (FAO, 2017). 36 likes 22,568 views. Based on this background, the state farmland provision for the farmer is more than 3045years and on average the current landowner is above 4850years of age at a minimum level. Deforestation is a contributor to global climate change, and is often cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect [7]. Soil erosion has been one of the country's major problems. Pest management support services strategy for Ethiopia. Yet agriculture is the countrys most promising resource. But around 700 million people, most of them living in rural areas are still live in extreme poverty, and more than 800 million people are chronically hungry and 2 billion people suffer micronutrient deficiencies in the whole world. The present study showed that the . Land degradation impact index (GLADIS). 2 The main contributions, potentials, characteristics and problems of Ethiopian agriculture. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Land use and household holding by region, 19971998, Table 2. Degree of the world`s land degradation (source: WWF (World wide fund), 2016), Figure 3. About 0.7% of the country is covered with natural water bodies or lakes (MoWR (Ministry of Water Resources), 2002) which is around 744, 400ha (IUCN (international union for conservation of nature), 2010), and the amount of water it holds is estimated to be 70 billion cubic meters. Table 3. A crossectional study was conducted to identify the major health problems of dairy cattle and associated risk factors in and around Hawassa Town, Southern Ethiopia. PASDEP implementation as the main instrument for delivering agricultural growth through strong push for intensification to increase yield and productivity in the smallholder sector. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 7 How much of Ethiopias land is under cultivation? It is also difficult to implement mechanize farms, inefficient to work on it to secure the families demand because the small farm size cultivated is yielded lower. Conservational agriculture approaches seek to reduce soil disturbance by minimizing mechanical tillage, maintain a protective organic cover on the soil surface, and cultivate a wider range of plant species both annuals and perennials in associations, sequences, and rotations that may include trees, shrubs, pastures, and crops, for example, rotation cropping systems of pulses or legumes build up and maintain soil nitrogen levels (FAO, 2017). It is reported that over the last 4050years, the mean annual temperature of Ethiopia increased from 0.2C to 0.28C per decade (McSweeney et al., 2010). Globally, it was forecasted that in the coming decades, the world is likely to be not only more populous and urban but also demographically older (FAO, 2017). According to the World Bank, Ethiopia spent 26.3% of its government expenditure and 4.5% of its GDP on education provision in 2013. 2 The main contributions, potentials, characteristics and problems of Ethiopian agriculture. Leaving crop residue in the farmland and adding organic matter is used for improving soil fertility and maximize the water-holding capacity of the soil (Pisante et al., 2012). Particularly, the GOE under the new administration has given renewed emphasis to develop the agriculture sector and ensure food security. Required fields are marked *. Hence, integration of all the concerned bodies including market channels, and reviewing the poor and weakest strategic development may partly solve the productivity and agricultural production problems. Summary of the spatial variability of surface water in Ethiopia. Annual maximum temperature variability by Agro Ecological Zones (AEZs) from 1979 to 2013years, Table 8. Ethiopia is a preferred destination for many investors and tourists because of the unique climatic conditions it possesses. Consequently, the countrys minimum temperature has increased by 0.37C to 0.4C per decade (Astawsegn, 2014). Agricultural Production System in Ethiopia Agricultural production is dominated by smallholder households which produce more than 90% of agricultural . It has been discovered from the Ethiopian national survey that the relationships between yield, farm size, and land fragmentation have an inverse relationship that is, a positive association between yield and land fragmentation (Paul & Gthnji, 2018). Excessive use of chemical fertilizers, mono-cropping; deforestation, soil erosion due to poor soil management practices such as over-cultivation of soils or overgrazing added to the problem. The farming systems are facing constraints such as small land size, lack of resources, and increasing degradation of soil quality that hamper sustainable crop production and food security. (, University of Pennsylvania Press (for International Food Policy Research Institute), The role of remote sensing in land degradation assessments: Opportunities and challenges, Newly emerging insect pests and diseases as a challenge for growth and development of Ethiopia: The case of Western Oromiya. Agriculture (70% of employment, but 40% of GDP) is not very productive and is sensitive to weather conditions and changes in world commodity prices. Did you know that with a free Taylor & Francis Online account you can gain access to the following benefits? What are the two types of dynamic programming? People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read. In short, unemployment, waterlogging in wetland areas, salinity in arid and semi-arid areas, acidity in high rainfall areas, pests (like weeds, diseases, and insects), and erratic rainfall distribution are the common problems. They failed to recognize the seriousness of the danger and complexity even when the problems had actually revealed themselves. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing Ethiopia's most promising resource is its agricultural land. Variations and fluctuations in rainfall and temperature compromise, among others, the productive performances of the agricultural sector and make rural households at risk. Improving irrigation technology like water harvesting technology is the best option to reduce water losses and improve water use efficiency from the soil-plant system. International governments and organizations could support the country not only by the provision of credit and donation but also should make sure that the political and economic environment for permitting the intended goals. UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development). In contrast to this finding, Knippenberg et al. For many low-income families, low harvests mean they do not have enough food and are unable to eat nutritious food on a regular basis. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). Ethiopia's development plan has laid out enhancing agricultural production and productivity as one of the major strategic pillars. The reason for the underutilization of the resources and water resources, in particular, are many, among which lack of technology and finance is just to mention a few (Table 10). Environmental issues such as water pollution (as a result of agricultural and industrial runoffs, etc. The persistent decline in the size of farmland also represents formidable challenges for mechanized farming and obtaining long-term capital investment (Diriba, 2020). Ethiopia's HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate hovers around 1.1%. What is causing the plague in Thebes and how can it be fixed? The countries of the world are interconnected and a problem of a country obviously becomes a problem of the others in the interconnected world at present than ever. Shekuru et al. Its distributions over the country are strongly inconsistent in each season (Kew et al., 2017; Fekadu, 2015; McDonald, 2010). The interaction between human population and agricultural production is complex.Intense debates have been continued on population growth against agricultural development. However, in contrast to this finding, Aragie (2013) reported that in the past four decades the annual temperature increased by 0.37C per decade. IUCN (international union for conservation of nature). The northern part of Ethiopia is highly affected historically by drought/famine several times. Furthermore, this sector requires marketing opportunities to export to foreign countries. Agriculture dominates the Ethiopian life to the extent that little progress can be made unless agriculture is attacked directly. Hunger and extreme poverty are reduced globally since the 1990s (FAO, 2016). (. THE MAJOR AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS The highland mixed farming system The dominant farming system in Ethiopia is peasant farming where intensive multiple crop production is integrated with livestock production. Rural aging has major implications on the rural labor force in patterns of agricultural production, land tenure, the social organization within communities, and socioeconomic development (FAO, 2017). on What are the major problem of agriculture in Ethiopia? These led to soil fertility depletion and crop productivity reduction in the country by different soil degradation agents. The perception of Ethiopia projected in the media is often one of chronic poverty and hunger, but this bleak assessment does not accurately reflect most of the country today. Governments must ensure all policy areas, including trade, education, finance, and health in integrations. By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. The population of Sub-Saharan Africa countries projected to be doubled by 2050 (increased by 99%) (UNDESA, 2015). Advertisement. Agriculture is the backbone of the Ethiopian economy. Therefore, emphasizing agriculture in Ethiopia requires the political as well as the economic commitment of all parties concerned. World Journal of Agricultural sciences 6(4):412-418. 1. Across Ethiopia, nearly 9 million people are in need of food assistance. Ethiopias total export earnings by value increased by 12% from the previous year. It constitutes over 50% of the gross domestic product (GDP), accounts for over 85% of the labour force and earns over 90% of the foreign exchange [2]. This is an impediment to increasing yield and rather leads to poverty and food insecurity. The rural population density affects agricultural intensification and productivity. Although soil erosion, overgrazing, and deforestation have seriously damaged the plateaus, nearly half the potentially cultivable land is still available for use. It is too old in the case of the current context or generations. Ethiopia is a landlocked country split by the Great Rift Valley. Deforestation or forest degradation in Ethiopia takes a lead among the major problems that forest resources are encountered. It constitutes over 50% of the gross domestic product (GDP), accounts for over 85% of the labour force and earns over 90% of the foreign exchange [2]. . Furthermore, mitigating the variability of climate change helps the most vulnerable group of the society to stabilize farmers income during drought and poor output (Shekuru et al., 2020). Illiteracy is another major reason why Ethiopia wallows in poverty. Major problems of Ethiopian agriculture are: unemployment, wetland waterlogging, salinity in arid and semi-arid regions, acidity in areas with excessive rainfall, By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Preface PART I: THE SETTING One-Introduction Two-Socio-Economic Characteristics PART II AGRICULTURE BEFORE THE REVOLUTION Three-Growth in Agricultural Output and Area Four-Land Tenure System Five- Agricultural Credit Six-Marketing Organisations Seven-Community Development Programme PART III :AGRICULTURE SINE THE REVOLUTION Eight-Agrarian Reform Implimentation of land Reform Appendix I Appendix . Therefore, this paper is devoted to reviewing the existing agricultural challenges and future prospects in the country. (. Nachtergaele et al. This report also indicated that much of the temperature increment happened in the dry and hotspots of the country. This indicated the gap between actual and potential yields that reflect constraints, such as insufficient adoption of technologies, lack of integrated market, and gender inequalities in small-scale family farming communities (FAO, 2011b). Therefore, farm size affects agricultural sustainability in the economy, social aspects, and environmental performance of agricultural production, for instance, increasing farm size has a positive impact on farmers net profit, economic benefits, technical and labor efficiency with mean coefficients of 0.005, 0.02, and 2.25 in China, respectively (Ren et al., 2019). Ethiopia is a country of peasants with primitive agriculture. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Agriculture in Ethiopia is mainly dependent on rainfed systems, and this dependency has put the majority of the Ethiopian population at the mercy of meteorological variability. While, Gebreyesus and Kirubel (2009) reported that the heavy reliance of some 85 percent of Ethiopia's growing population on an exploitative kind of subsistence agriculture is a major reason behind the current state of land degradation. Ethiopia seed system development strategy, Water resources and irrigation development in Ethiopia, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Theoretical and empirical review of Ethiopian water resource potentials, challenges and future development opportunities, Proxy global assessment of land degradation, review article, Challenges and potential of future agricultural development in Jordan: Role of education and entrepreneurship, Climate variability and farmers Perception in Southern Ethiopia, Projecting Ethiopian demographics from 20122050 using the spectrum suite of models, Livelihood options of landless households and land contracts in north-west Ethiopia, Policies and programs affecting land management practices, input use, and productivity in the highlands of Amhara region, Ethiopia, International Food Policy Research Institute, Surface water and groundwater resources of Ethiopia: Potentials and challenges of water resources development, Deforestation and land degradation in the Ethiopian Highlands: A strategy for physical recovery, Deforestation and land degradation in the Ethiopian highlands: A strategy for physical recovery, Policies to promote cereal intensification in Ethiopia: A review of evidence and experience, The Future Prospects for Global Arable Land, CSIRO Plant Industry, CRC Tropical Plant Protection, University of Queensland. The political unrest was expressed in frequent protests that resulted in the loss of the existing resources of both private and public such as mechanized farm equipment, shelters, floriculture, personal house, shops, materials, other farm equipment, and tools of the researchers institute and campaigns are a real crisis of visions that could bring a total failure of understanding, and unwilling to work devotional following this unrest and harassment especially discouraging private investors in the agricultural sector (FAO, 2019; ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), 2017; ATA, 2014; ATA, 2013). Why poverty? Ethiopia has no: Less than 21 soil types with varying physical and chemical features. Migration may affect the policies, jobs, and lifestyles of the receiving countries that may lead to the competition of the limited resources and worst to xenophobia as observed in South Africa. MoANR (Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources). The author received no direct funding for this research. This is the root of all agricultural problems in the country. What is constraints of Ethiopian agriculture? Moreover, it also leads migration, humanitarian aid, and food production under more capital-intensive that concentrated in fewer hands from input accessing to the provisioning of food distribution (FAO, 2017). According to the most recent studies, 842 million people or 12 percent of the world's population were unable to meet their . One of the keys will be changing the way agriculture is financed and incentivized. Register a free Taylor & Francis Online account today to boost your research and gain these benefits: The challenges and prospects of Ethiopian agriculture, 1 College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, School of Plant Sciences, Haramaya University, Dire Dewa, Ethiopia, The role of climateforestagriculture interface in climate resilient green economy of Ethiopia, Spatiotemporal variability and trends of rainfall and temperature in the Northeastern Highlands of Ethiopia, Landlessness, land access modalities and poverty in rural areas of Oromia national regional state, Ethiopia, Impacts of climate change on food security in Ethiopia: adaptation and mitigation options: A review, Rural population change in developing countries: Lessons for policy making, Climate change, growth, and poverty in Ethiopia, Recent changes in rainfall, temperature and number of rainy days over Northern Oromia zone, Horticultural crops research and development in Ethiopia: Review on current status, Effects of climate change and variability on rural livelihoods and responses: The case of Soro Woreda, Hadiya zone. Agriculture is particularly vulnerable to climate-related effects such as erratic rainfall in the semi-arid regions of northern Ethiopia. Therefore, increasing such activities will increase the country's income and food demand. This report also argued that the farmers are barely able to feed their families and contributed to further environmental deterioration. Want to see the full answer? These activities may include the provision of social services to accommodate the new generation (FAO, 2017). major problems of agriculture in ethiopia The aim of this paper is to demonstrate trends and controversies of population growth and . Why poverty? The reduced precipitation and rise of temperature could influence agricultural practices and their results widely (Shekuru et al., 2020). However, just five percent of land is irrigated and crop yields from small farms are below regional averages. In 2019, Ethiopias major goods exports included coffee (28.7%), cut flowers (14.1%), oil seeds (11.5%), chat (10.9%), pulses (7.9%), gold (6.6%), leather and leather products (2.4%). IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development), Land tenure in Ethiopia - Continuity and change, shifting rulers, and the quest for state control, CAPRi and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Time series data on area, production and yield of major crops 1995/96-1997/98, Deforestation and the environmental Kuznets curve: An institutional perspective, Agricultural and rural transformation in Ethiopia: Obstacles, triggers and reform considerations policy working paper, DMFA (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The country misused these gifted natural resources in agricultural activities possibly mainly due to the political unrest characterized by the frequent war that weakened the economy rather than focused on development. Furthermore, feeding the population in the near future in developing countries like Ethiopia is expected to increase production and productivity. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies.

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