Abstract:
The main purpose of the present study is to present baseline
data on farming and consumption habits in those parts of CADU1 s
project area where the project to date only has conducted
activities on a limited scale or not at all. The study
supplements the two baseline studies previously conducted,
CADU publication No. 14 General Agricultural Survey and CADU
Publication No. 71 General Agricultural Survey 1970: Baseline
Study for the Evaluation of Impact of the Project, These two
studies together covered what is often referred to as the
"old" project area, i.e. the four woredas Hetosa, Tiyo, Digelu &
Tijo, and Lemu & Bilbilo, The present study covers all six
remaining woredas in Chilalo; Sire, Dehra,Zwai & Dugda, Gedeb,
Munessa, and Kofele.
These three baseline studies thus together provide a picture of
farming and consumption patterns as they were in Chilalo prior
to the project's activities having been launched in earnest.
Base-line studies are a very essential component of an evaluation
programme for CADU setting the standard against which the
project's performance may be assessed. It is regrettable that
the entire project area was not covered by base-line studies
already at the inception of the project in 1968 since CADU’s
influence in 1972 even in those woredas into which the extension
and marketing activities had not been introduced more at depth
is clearly perceptible.
Using all three base-line studies an attempt has been made to
compute overall averages for the entire project area. It is
debatable whether this is fully meaningful: in respect of
almost all relevant variables Chilalo is a very heterogeneous
area located at an altitude varying between 1,700 and 2,900
metres and populated by people of differing tribal and religious
origins. However, since averages for all Chilalo are frequently
used in a variety of contexts, it was considered valuable to
provide what constitutes the presently best available estimates
of average farming conditions within the area.
