Southern Agricultural Research Institute Agricultural Production Constraints in Agricultural Growth Program II Woredas in SNNPR

Abstract

In Southern Nation Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPR), 90% of the total population depends on agriculture as a source of food, cash income, as industry inputs row material and for export. SNNPR is a large region in Ethiopia (about 112,323.19 sq. km) accounting for more than 10% of the country’s surface area (CSA) estimated population of 18 million (CSA, 2006). It is overwhelming rural population, with only 8% living in urban areas. The region is divided into 14 administrative zones, 133 woredas, and 3512 kebeles. SNNPR contains a huge variety of ethnic groups - as many as 56 with their own languages, cultures, beliefs, traditions, rituals and social identities living togather. The region encompasses both densely populated, intensively cultivated agricultural highlands (including high levels of coffee production) and pastoral lowland areas These very different environments present different challenges for resource management. A traditional, subsistence farming system is the main livelihood in the region, especially in the highland areas, with farmers managing both crops and livestock. Because of its diverse agro-ecologies, climates, soil types and cultural practices, the region is the home to many varieties of food crops, in particular maize, wheat, tef barley, root crops and enset and livestock resources for milk, meat, egg, fish and honey production and used as draught power plough (mares ha) in the region. The Agricultural Growth Program (AGP-II) is operating in 157 and 35 woredas in the country in SNNPRS respectively. Its operation is being conducted based on the objectives of the second growth and transformation program (GTP-II). The research component of the AGP-II (component II) provides support to the agricultural research system with the objective of developing/generating and promoting agricultural technologies for inclusive and sustainable market oriented smallholder agricultural growth in potential areas of the country in a manner that addresses the needs of women and youth. Four sub-components are addressed by the research system. These include: technology generation and adaptation in crop, livestock and natural resource, agricultural information and value addition of selected commodities in socioeconomics research, pre extension demonstration and popularization of die adapted technologies, source technology multiplication/production, and capacity development to support the above subcomponents. The sub components and each activity under them address three cross cutting issues: gender, climate, and nutrition. South Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) through its 6 research centers has been conducting a total o f 209 research activities approved so as to address production constraint problem in 35 Districts/Woredas in the region. Of these 86 research activities selected from pipeline technologies and other 123 research activities iniated after production constraint asssesment in the project woredas. All activities were developed based on GTP II. From these, 97 were crop research activities, 47were designed to improve the production, productivity of livestock and the remaining 49 activities aimed to improve the natural resource management, and to reduce degradation of fragile soil and ecosystems improvement 16 activities socioeconomic research activities. In addition, there are 101 activities associated with source technology multiplication and pre extension demonstration and popularization of elite technologies are under implementation. Totally 310 activities were implemented and of these about 120 were completed and other activities are in good progress based agricultural prodoction consraint assesments idenfied. In crop production: crop pests (disease, insea pest and weed), lack of improv ed seed, lack of improved technology, high soil acidity in high land areas, decline of soil fertility, lack of awareness on crop pests and their managements* shortage of land and lack to access in modern irrigation schemes were the major constraints raised by farmers and identified through Held observation. In livestock production the major problems identified are: shortage forages, improved breeds, animal health (livestock diseases and parasites) and management.The identified natural resource (soil, water, forest) management constraints and practices are reported under four categories: soil fertility management, soil and water conservation, small-scale irrigation management, and forestry and agro-forestry management. To ensure effective implementation of the project and achieve the specific and broader objectives, diagnosing the agricultural production constraints and technology demand of beneficiary small holder farmers of project command areas, together with key stakeholders, is the most important part of research) planning. Conducting research on the constraints identified by researchers, farmers, and extension workers would have a significant contribution towards solving the problems and technology adoption, TTierefore, South Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) with concerned stakeholders has exhaustively undertaken survey to identify agricultural production constraints in all project woredas. Base up on the result of the assessment research, pre extention demonstration (PED) and source technology multiplication activities were proposed and on implementation.