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This study examined the nexus between cluster farming and household dietary diversity among smallholder wheat farmers in Oromia region, Ethiopia. Three-stage sampling procedures were employed to gather data from 384 household heads on a cross-sectional survey that was carried out in June 2022. Descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model were used for data analysis. The average, minimum, and maximum household dietary diversity scores were 7.10, 1, and 11, respectively. A significant difference was observed: participants in cluster farming had 14% more dietary diversity than their counterparts. Sex, marital status, participation in wheat cluster farming, home gardening, off-farm income, number of crops grown, cooperative membership, and access to training determined household dietary diversity. The study indicates that dietary diversity in households is influenced by a variety of factors. While wheat cluster-based farming is heavily promoted, household food and nutrition security also need to consider other elements like home gardening, off-farm income, cooperative membership, and training access.

This study aimed to analyze farmers' opinions, its role to household welfare, and the factors that influence the likelihood and intensity of exotic poultry adoption among rural chicken producers. To attain this, 155 households were targeted for interview. To this end, a multistage sampling procedure was administered to select households. Accordingly, quantitative data was backed by the qualitative data so as to bolster its credibility. Thus, the qualitative data was obtained through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The result revealed that for enhanced market demand of chickens and egg production capacity among other allied factors farmers were interested with its production though exposure to disease and predators, absence of rural vaccination services, and the need for more care were also identified as challenges of production. Furthermore, exotic poultry producers’ get advantage over their non-exotic poultry producers as a result of the sale of eggs and a live chicken. The producers improved their diets notably for egg and chicken meat. This also implies that exotic poultry producers were better at food diversification than their counter part using the days recall method. The model output, on the other hand, showed that household size, farming experience, farm size, sex, off/non-farm income, livestock holding, distance to market, and access to credit service were all statistically significant at 1 %. The study suggests that focusing on key factors influencing the adoption and use of exotic poultry will help maintain and increase their adoption rates.

Abstract Recently, due attention was given to the commercialization of smallholder agriculture through contact farming, hoping that it would bring the positive impact on the income of smallholder producer in Ethiopia. This article presents the results of data analysis conducted to generate empirical data required to inform the smallholder agricultural commercialization policy using data collected from 424 (194 participants and 230 non-participants) randomly selected vegetables producer farmers from the 2 districts of the East shewa zone of the Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The propensity score matching was used to assess the impact of contract farming (CF) on smallholder farmers’ income in the study area. The probit model result shows that, the proportion of total crop area allocated to vegetables, access to credit, frequency of extension contacts, market information, and distance of the market center havepositive and significance effects on decision of vegetable producers to participate on the CF. The impact assessment result using PSM reveals that, gross annual income of the contract participants were lower by the 3.8% (Birr 2942) as compared to the non- participants. This implies that, local context matters for the success of CF and improves their livelihood. However, some of the CF participants would like to continue for access of production inputs, access to credit, technical advice and to reduce marketing risks and uncertainty. In conclusion, CF is a useful institutional arrangement which increases smallholders’ income and benefit from remunerative value chains agriculture, but it is not a panacea that works in different contexts. Hence, policy makers should base their choices on empirical evidence and local context to consider alternative and complementary intervention options to enhance smallholder commercialization and ensure sustainable livelihood in the research area.

AbstractClimate change is causing significant damage to crop production in the central plateau zone of Rwanda, particularly affecting sorghum, food, and the incomes of smallholder farmers. Understanding farmers’ perceptions and the factors impacting their responses is crucial for improving sorghum production policies and programs. Therefore, a study was conducted to assess sorghum farmers’ perceptions of climate change and the factors determining their adaptation strategies. A multistage sampling method and a cluster random selection were utilized to select 345 respondents from five districts of the study area. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a multivariate probit model. The results showed that 98.8% of farmers were aware of climate change, with deforestation being the main anthropogenic activity causing it. Consequently, 95.7% and 84.3% of farmers experienced grain yield reductions, and over 20 sorghum varieties disappeared. To address these impacts, farmers adopted five adaptation strategies: early maturing sorghum varieties (67%), adjusting planting dates (50.1%), drought-tolerant varieties (46.7%), soil conservation practices (38.3%), and crop diversification (32.8%). The multivariate probit model results showed the age and literacy level of the household head, access to extension services, access to information, access to credit, farming experience, and land size as the important factors influencing at least one of the climate change adaptation strategies. The study concluded that sorghum farmers are aware of the impacts of climate change and are acting to address its negative effects. The results suggest that the government and stakeholders should support farmers in strengthening their adaptation strategies for sustainable sorghum production.

Abstract Introduction In countries like Ethiopia where the selling of staple food crops is the common way of earning cash income; the concept of agricultural commercialization is never restricted to cash crops. Among the staple food crops, teff is becoming a market-oriented crop in Ethiopia. This paper investigated the challenges, opportunities, and intensity of teff commercialization in the study area. Methods Data were collected from 155 randomly selected teff growers, four focus group discussion participants encompassing both women and men farmers, and twelve key informant interviewees from the local leader, development agents, and head of the Woreda agriculture office. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Value of teff sale, Crop Output Market Participation Index (COMPI), double hurdle model, and qualitative data analysis. Results The average teff commercialization in terms of the value of teff sale by sample households was 6005 ETB (Ethiopian Birr). The double hurdle model result revealed that sex of the household head, application of agricultural inputs, and row sowing technology positively affected the commercialization decision of farmers in the teff output whilst the size of land allocated to teff, chemical fertilizer, row sowing technology, and frequency of contact with extension agents positively influenced the intensity of teff commercialization. Adjunct to this high input price, lack of input availability, and frost were identified as major hinders to teff production in the study area. Conclusions The finding of this study showed that there is a direct relationship between agricultural inputs utilization for teff and farmers’ decision to commercialize it and the level of its commercialization. Therefore, the timely provision of agricultural inputs and possible subsidization of these inputs will increase the productivity of teff since farmland expansion is unthinkable due to scarcity of land. Moreover, the District office of agriculture should collaboratively work with the nearby research centers to reduce the problem of frost by introducing a frost-resistant variety.

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