History

Permanent URI for this collection

http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/182

Browse

Browsing History by Author "Chapple, David (Associate Professor)"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    A History of Partially Mechanized and Other Arable Farming along the Ethio-Sudan Border: The Case of Abdarafi and Mattama, 19505-19805
    (Addis Ababa University, 2015-09) Redda, Atakilt; Chapple, David (Associate Professor)
    My dissertation studies the history of partially mechanized and other arable farming along the Ethio-Sudan border: the case 0./ Abdamj; and Mattama. The dissertation covers the period between 1950s and the 1980s. The entl)' point 0./ the dissertation is the 1950s because the Ethiopian government sought to stimulate agricultural growth and promote changes in peasant agriculture through its successive Five Year Development Plans that started in 1957. The jirst tractor was also in the program area in 195 7. The dissertation does not end in 1975following the rural land proclamation. The land proclamation 0./ 1975 was not implemented in the stU(~ areas because the stU(~ areas were under the control 0./ the Ethiopian Democratic Union (EDU) until the beginning 0./ the 1980s. The hot, dusty godforsaken areas o./Abdeiraj; and MCittCima in the northernmost regions 0./ the then Begemeder and Simien near the Sudan border were the scene 0./ modern agriculturol development. Agricullure was rain:/ed. The three major crops that covered much of the cultivated area were cotton, sesame and sorghum. Though developments were impressive and significant, they ./aced problems characteristic 0/ rapid unplanned growth in similar areas: inadequate in./rastructure, particularly in communications, health and water supply, labour shortage, discouraging credit and marketing arrangements, absence of machinelY repair ./acilities, and a variety of \!leeds. pests and other problems. 1I1y dissertation describes how mechanized and partially mechanized agriculture was introduced into Abdamji and ivlCittama and how the ./armers coped, partially coped with, or/ailed to cope with, the problem 0./ ./arming in the areas. My dissertation also describes the security problems arisingji'om a disputed boundary and then the Ethiopian Revolution 0./ 1974 which in the end resulted in the breakdown 0/ cooperative ./arms in AbdCiraji and MCitlama and the other lowland areas like HwnCira. The issue 0./ mechanized agriculture, even if it has not much auracted the allention 0./ researchers in Ethiopia, is an important aspect 0./ economic histolY. The study 0./ such activity should enrich Our knowledge. It will also hopejilily provide material./or the work 0./ other researchers, economic planners and development palicy makers. On the other hand, the studies on mechanized agriculture in these peripheral areas sho\ll the major obstacles to 1II0dern agriculture, indicating also both the challenges and the opportunities ./nr development ./01' potential investors both./oreign and local.