Abstract:
The Government of Ethiopia (GoE) is currently developing five year Growth and
Transformation Plan (GTP). The Second Agricultural Growth Program II (AGP-II)
has been aligned with GTP II, thereby contributing to the achievement of targets set
for agriculture sector growth. The program contributes to the higher-level goal of sustainable
food security and agricultural transformation by developing untapped potential
of well-endowed areas. AGP II will operate in 157 districts selected from 7 national
regional states and one city administration of the country which have the highest
growth potential, primarily based on agro-ecological conditions and access to markets.
In North Gondar zone, eight districts are included in the GTP-II program. This
diagnostic survey was initiated to characterize the farming systems o f AGP-II program
intervention districts and identify major agricultural production constraints and
opportunities with a view to establish a framework for future research and development
interventions.
The study was conducted in eight selected AGP-11 program intervention districts of
North Gondar Zone of Amhara regional state. The districts were Wogera, Gondar Zuria,
Dembia, Takusa, Alefa, Chilga, Metema and Quara. A multidisciplinary team of
researchers conducted the study. The team used one of the informal survey methods
i.e. Community level participatory approach (CLLP) to characterize and identify the
potential agricultural opportunities and constraints o f the farming systems of the study
areas.
The study characterizes the socio-economic condition o f the study area like the farming
system, marketing and market infrastructure, input supply and financial system,
rural livelihood and household economy and cross cutting issues (nutrition and climate
smart agriculture), major crop grown, cropping system and crop management,
livestock resource and livestock husbandry and natural resource and its management.
After characterization major agricultural related constraints were identified, recommendations
and outlines of research and development proposals were suggessted for
further intervenstions to solve the problems as well as to maximize the resource utilization
in the area.
