Abstract:
During 1988-1989, an informal diagnostic survey was conducted in
the weinadega ( 1500-2300 m) areas of Boloso and Sodo Weredas,
Wolayita Awraja, Sidamo Region. The objective of the survey was to
understand farmers production circumstances, practices and
problems and to identify possible solutions to these problems. ihe
information will help researchers of the newly established Areka
Research Center to formulate their research programs.
Mean annual rainfall of the area is about 1048 mm and about 85%
of the rainfall occurs from March to September. The weinadega zone
encompasses aoout 60% of Wolayita Awraja and has a rural population
of about 358,000. Most residents are Christian and members of the
Welayita ethnic group. The population density of the awraja is 401
persons per s q . km., one of the highest in Ethiopia. The Wolayita
Agricultural Development Unit (WADU) was active in the area until
1985 providing extension service, inputs and other agricultural
servi ces.
The survey area has two distinct seasons (belg and meher) and
hence farmers produce two crops and sometimes three crops per year.
Average farm size is about 1.26 ha and major crops are maize,
enset, haricot bean, sweet potato, tef and coffee. Haricot bean,
sweet potato and tef are produced in both seasons, maize is
produced only in the belg season. Enset is the primary food crop
followed in importance by maize, sweet potato, and haricot bean.
Few farmers have livestock due to tne small farm size and lack
of feed. Only about one-third of the farmers own oxen and few own
more than one. Farmers without oxen o^ten obtain them for plowing
through sharecropping arrangements.
The busiest times of the year are March-April (planting and
weeding be 1g crops) and July-August (planting and weeding meher
crops). Doublecropping is common; following the belg crop farmers
plant a meher crop on the same field. Intercropping is also
common, especially for maize and haricot bean. Most farmers use
either fertilizer or manure on their crops and oxen cultivation is
common on maize and sometimes sweet potato.
Notable trends in the survey area include (1) a decline in the
use of improved varieties because of the lacK of availability of
improved seed, (2) a decline in tef production due to oxen
shortage, (3) a decline in sorghum and coffee production due to
pests and diseases, (4) an increase in maize production due to
high yields, and suitability for intercropping, and (5) a decline
in livestock numbers due to drought, disease, and increasing
pressure on land.
