major problems of agriculture in ethiopia

Ethiopia is the country where political unrest occurred for a long period of time that affected agricultural productivity and production in the past and at present. ), Tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) (Duressa, 2018) are the most important in Ethiopia when they occur. Review, Small farms, smaller plots: Land size, fragmentation, and productivity in Ethiopia, Agricultural innovations for sustainable crop production intensification, Ethiopia: Share of economic sectors in the gross domestic product (GDP) from 2009 to 2019, Family planning and fertility: Estimating program effects using cross-sectional data, The rain doesnt come on time anymore: Poverty, vulnerability, and climate variability in Ethiopia, The impact of farm size on agricultural sustainability, Variability and trends of temperature and rainfall over three agro ecological zones in North Shewa, central Ethiopia, Review of climate change and health in Ethiopia: Status and gap analysis, The impact of agricultural extension and roads on poverty and consumption growth in fifteen Ethiopian villages, Briefing note 5 economic assessment of the costs of deforestation in South-West Ethiopia, Land degradation: A challenge to Ethiopia, Climate change and its effects on vegetation phenology across ecoregions of Ethiopia, Population growth and cultivated land in rural Ethiopia: Land use dynamics, access, farm size, and fragmentation. Whereas the temperature increased by 1.3C from 1960 to 2006 (Asaminew & Diriba, 2015). CIA (Central intelligence agency) World Factbook. World Journal of Agricultural sciences 6(4):412-418. Most Ethiopians practice mixed agricultural activity which represents about 33.88% of the country`s GDP. . The total land under fruits and vegetable cultivation is estimated to be only about 0.45million hectares, which is less than 5% of the total cultivated land (MoARD (Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development), 2009). In Ethiopia, it is characterized by high-input and resource-intensive farming systems that harmoniously caused losses of important microorganisms, massive deforestation, freshwater scarcities, soil nutrient depletion, and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions and then hindered agricultural outputs (FAO, 2017). 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). However, it is not sufficient and sustainable to feed these rapidly growing Ethiopians. Notably, the variability is higher between July and September. Political instability, weaknesses of successive strategic development policies and shortage of financial assistance in the country is the root cause of the problem. Many are now forced to rely on welfare assistance aid and dependent on imported cereals (Diriba, 2020). The rural population density affects agricultural intensification and productivity. Crop and animal diseases such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes; insect pests, rodents, and birds are common problems in Ethiopia. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. 3 What is constraints of Ethiopian agriculture? 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. The rapidly increasing populations, depletion of soil fertility, landlessness, climate change, deforestation, and degradation of natural resources are serious problems of developing nations that need urgent actions. At the international, regional, national, and local levels, there is a direct correlation between food insecurity and poverty. Achieving sustainable development and promoting development cooperation, World population prospects: The 2015 revision. In FY 2017/2018, the United . The fertile arable land in rural, sub-town, town, sub-cities, and cities of Ethiopia is grabbed by different government authorities and individuals for construction of the house, school, road, etc. 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. UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development). Shortage of finance is one of the major problems facing small farmers. But increased input alone does not increase the food supply and staple crop yields, and thus farm income declines as population density increases. . For instance, the wholesale price unit of maize grain in the capital city of Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) alone increased from 1,469 to 5,013 from 2005 to 2012 in Ethiopian Birr (ETB) per ton (FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations), 2015) and the price is tripled in the last five years. Such developmental policy should take into account religious preference, cultural habits of the people, and protection against losses of biodiversity by strengthening the successive strategic plans. The global soil organic carbon nets primary production is reduced at least by 5% due to the loss of natural ecosystem functions, which is estimated at an economic value of between 6.3 USD-$10.6 trillion per year (or 1017% of global GDP) (UNCCD, 2019). The above-raised problems contributed a picture of increased degradation of existing arable land, as well as difficulties with making new arable land in the future. But even these 2 ha of land is not enough to produce an adequate supply of food for the average family (Lebeda et al., 2010; IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development), 2008; Gebreselassie, 2006). fLACK OF DEFINITE AGRICULTURE LAND USE POLICY At regional level it is on the will of the farmer to grow Principal crops grown are coffee, pulses, oilseeds, potatoes, sugarcane, and a few vegetables. This will demand an additional billion tons of cereal grains and 200 million tons of meat to be produced annually (FAO, 2017). 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. It also did not indicate methods of curbing environmental degradation that could result from the lease of the natural resources to private investment be it agriculture or mining. EEA/EEPRI. improper handling and lack of packaging and refrigerated storage facilities are the major problems . People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. 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. Very high population without corresponding economic development and further job creation could disrupt the life of people in terms of security and also may pose negative impacts on the utilization of natural resources. In 20182020years alone the locust caused high-yield losses in the rift valley, eastern, north-central, and northern parts of Ethiopia. Small-scale producers and landless households are the most vulnerable to climate change in Ethiopia. This is an impediment to increasing yield and rather leads to poverty and food insecurity. Presented by Dr. Abera Deresa (State Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) at the 'Dialogue on Ethiopia's Agricultural Development', 12 November 2015, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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). It is located in the Horn of Africa, bordering six (6) countries: Djibouti and Somalia to the East, Eritrea to the North and Northeast, Kenya to the South and Sudan and South Sudan to the West. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Around 80-85% Ethiopians are engaged in agriculture, mainly in subsistence and rain-fed farming and livestock production. The lowlands are vulnerable to increased temperatures and prolonged droughts, while the highlands suffered from more intense and irregular rainfall. Ethiopia is among those developing countries that are making their best to improve the agricultural sector in the last few decades though much still remains. In Ethiopia, the scarcity of arable farmland and landlessness increased than ever in general and very high in the highland areas in particular (Diriba, 2020). 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). However, the main causes of poverty in Ethiopia are brought on by the effects of its economy revolving around agriculture. These older farmers might be discriminated against accessing credit, training, and other income-generating resources (FAO, 2017). Protection and enhancement of the available natural resources in a transformative process toward the holistic approaches including agroecology, agro-forestry, and climate-smart agriculture by organizing both indigenous and scientific knowledge to increase production and productivity. However, traditional agriculture is inefficient to feed these populations unless further modifications are implemented in the policy of the country. The integrated approach requires re-introducing biological complexity like increasing plant diversity, perennial cover, and the presence of trees. What characteristics allow plants to survive in the desert? Such integration of agricultural stakeholders may improve smallholder livelihoods; shorten food supply chains and impact biodiversity through inclusive and resilient food production way. The agriculture sector is projected to grow at 6.2 percent per annum over the next ten years. Therefore, this paper is devoted to reviewing the existing agricultural challenges and future prospects in the country. Furthermore, it is used for utilizing the countrys agricultural productivity growth, political commitment, and scrutinize the necessity of mechanized farms at the national level. Check out a sample Q&A here. This is because of the rapid increment of population, change of fertile farmland to construction for the urban dwellers, climate change, decline of available natural resources, inflation of basic needs, young unemployment, political turmoil, and civil conflict (Alemu & Mengistu, 2019; FTF (Feed the Future), 2018; Simane et al., 2016). Therefore, rectifications of the agricultural policies across the country that support the young generation might be important to increase production and productivity (Anriquez & Stloukal, 2008). The vast majorities of smallholder farmers of Ethiopia living in perpetually substandard conditions, relying on traditional systems, undercapitalized; farm on fragmented land, depleted soil fertility with high competition of pests, and low investment in agricultural inputs (chemical fertilizer, improved seeds, and pesticides) (ATA, 2014). If critical issues are not addressed the food price inflation creates political instability, disorder, chaos, unemployment, malnutrition, hunger, poverty, imbalance, and inefficient resource distributions among the nations which may lead to migration. Soil erosion is an endogenous factor that happened during heavy rainfall and wind. Deforestation 4. Causes of poverty in Ethiopia include a variety of actions stemming from natural disasters as well as man-made actions. In addition, the countrys agriculture highly depends on rain-fed. (. A high density of termite mounds is common in the Maki-Batu area of the Central Rift Valley of 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. Table 3. Ozone Depletion, Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming 2. It also declines the levels of arable land availability (Campbell, 2011; Pender et al., 2006). It is almost unbelievable that policymakers, scholars, and practitioners of the most advanced technologies failed to anticipate the problems of food security and agricultural development before they unfolded in Ethiopia (Diriba, 2020). Particularly in the northern provinces, which have been settled with sedentary agriculture for millennia, population density has caused major damage to the soil's physical base, to its organic and chemical nutrients, and to the natural vegetation cover. The future of Ethiopian agriculture is bright because of the fact that the country is gifted with a variable climate ranging from tropics (growing tropical crops like citrus fruits) to subtropics (growing crops like apples). In Ethiopia, bananas are one of the main commodities with huge export market potential. 36 likes 22,568 views. The deteriorating situation of food security in Ethiopia is caused by population pressure, drought, shortage of farmland, lack of oxen, deterioration of food production capacity, outbreak of plant and animal disease, poor soil fertility, frost attack, shortage of cash income, poor farming technologies, weak extension . Last month, at the 23rd anniversary of the downfall of the Dergue regime, Prime Minister Hailemariam declared that Ethiopias have become food self-sufficient at national level with annual production of major crops reaching 25 million tones (250 million Quintals). 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. Yet agriculture is the countrys most promising resource. The problems related to basic infrastructures like roads, hydroelectric generation plants, irrigation tools, and other farm equipment availability in the country and limitation of foreign currencies for importation also limited the attractiveness of the agricultural sector to private investors (Diriba, 2020).

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