FARMING SYSTEMS PROJECT SURVEY HOLETTA RED SOIL MIXED FARMING ZONE (December 1977 - January 1978)

Abstract

A farming systems survey was conducted in December 1979 January 1978 in the Holetta red soil mixed farming zone, consisting* of livestock, cereals and pulses production on undulating red soils lying at about 2200-2500 altitude, 30-70 km west of Addis Ababa. The objectives of the survejr was to provide additional information to the prevailing knowledge about the farming system, that included aspects concerned with constraints, useful for guiding research priorities and selection of whole farm technological packages* Questionaire formulation was a multi-disciplinary effort* Average farm size was 9 timads about 2 ha, the main crops grown were wheat, tef, barley and horse beans and with an average of 5*6 cattle, 2.3 sheep and 1 goat kept per farm. The farming system was quite complex, and the proximity to the large urban market for agricultural produce and labour added diversity to the farm/family economic system. Innovations which were used included vaccination for rinderpest and sometimes blackleg (about two-thirds), fertilizers and improved wheat varieties* However, generally adoption of innovations has been poor. Although farmers paid lip service to rotations in their planning, in fact the main cereals wheat, tef and barley were grown on the same field for three continuous years. This may have contributed to the deterioration of soil fertility and also may have encouraged soil erosion which is becoming a problem in the area. On the average, oxen did not appear to be absolute constraint to expanding crop areas, but for those not having oxen timeliness of operations was poor. Only one-third wished to avail themselves of opportunities for cross-breeding with improved cattle. Calving most commonly was in July-August, so conception took place in October-Fovember. Thus the lactation benefitted from only about three months of good pasture availability. Livestock mortality was high, being 3.6$ for cattle, 11^ for sheep and 7^ for goats. Primary causes of death cited by farmers were blackleg for cattle and liverfluke for sheep. Weeds trere found to be m a o r problems for crop production around Koletta red soil zone, particularly Guizotia scabra (ifetch), Snowdenia poystacha (liuja) and Kumex beguartii (tult) Competition existed between crop and livestock enterprises for land. However, the enterprises were linked by draught power, manuref pasture production and crop residues. The major source of protein for the farming community around Holetta appears to be pulses and protein sources from animal products were reported to be very small.