Potato Production and Post-Harvest Technologies Adoption by Smallholders and Its Implication to Food Security in Quarit Woreda, Ethiopia
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Date
2019-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Potato (SolanumtuberosumL.) family Solanaceae is one of the most important tuberous food crops in the world
that is ranked fourth in volume of production after rice, wheat and maize. Whereas; among root and tuber
crops ranked first which are followed by cassava, sweet potato and yam. Potato plays an important role in
improving household income and nutrition and there by contributes to food security in Ethiopia. Despite this,
the current production and productivity of potato in the national and regional as well as in that particular study
area has been below its potential. This is due to low level of use of improved potato production packages are
among the causes for low productivity and low level of use of post harvest technology with storage technology
packages for potato was a priority problem in the study area. In this context, this study analyzed the factors
influencing adoption of potato production and post harvest technology packages by smallholder in
Quarit woreda, Amhara reginal state, Ethiopia in 2018/19. The study uses cross-sectional study design with
purposive sampling (Woreda and Keble) and systematic randem sampling (targated household head) has been
applied. The analysis was based on a household survey conducted on 276 randomly selected potato growing
households. The analyses of the factors affecting adoption is measured in an index computed with censored
regression analysis (Tobit model) has been used for identifying the deteremenat factors for the adoption of
potato production and post harvest technology packages in the study area with the recomended components of
the technology packages. Education, family size and farm size, extension service distance to market and
distance to main road of the households were found to significantly affect the adoption of potato technology
package. This study also addressed and identifying its determinants on adoption of postharvest technology and
in the study area. In line with this sex family size, distance to the nearest market, postharvest handling practices
allocated for potato determine postharvest technology packages affect negatively. Generally Potato production,
post harvest and both of technologies adoption has also a significant effect on food security of the household in
the districts. Intervention of government from adoption of production technology and adoption of post harvest
technology until the end consumers with preparing storage mechanism must. Furthermore, both storage facility
and mechanisms must be improved in order to reduce post-harvest loss in the study area. Policy makers,
planners and development practitioners are required to give due attention to these determinants in order to
support smallholder in production and post harvest handling practice improvements for potato.
Key words: Technology packages, Technology adoption, production technologies, postharvest technology,
Adoption index and Food security.
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Keywords
Technology packages, Technology adoption, production technologies, postharvest technology, Adoption index and Food security.