The Role of Farm Power in Accelerating Agricultural Production in Hetosa Wereda Arsi Zone
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Date
1998-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study examines the role of farm power in accelerating agricultural production. It
focuses on farm power sources, their amount, ro le and integration on the one hand and
problems constraining their wise and efficient use on the other.
The research made use of both secondary and primary data sources. The secondary data are
used for macro level analysis while the primary data served the project level evaluation. The
primary data sources are 221 households, i.e. 189 smallholder farmers and 32 tractor-hire
service owners from 6 PAs and the whole wereda, respectively. The results indicate that
there are three sources of farm power (human, animal and mechanical) each of them having
the ir own problems and prospects in accelerating agricultural production.
Regarding human farm power, the study shows that farm households are sources of
agricultural power and labor requirement varies across seasons, type of crop mix, farm
implements used and farming systems with labor shortage and surplus periods. Added to
these, the mechanism of labor allocation which is based on sex and age appears to be
rational.
As to animal farm power, the survey reveals that animal traction is creeping towards a
deepening crises because of a serious of consequences such as rapid population growth, need
for more production, lateral expansion of agricultural land by swallowing grazing lands,
animal feed scarcity in quantity and quality, emaciation of animals and low animal
performance, coming one after another. The end results of these phenomena have been low
farm power input and production output. With regard to mechanical farm power, theresearch indicates that there is a need for adoption in the face of efficient resources use,
declining traction power and the des ire to get agriculture moving. However, the
environment for adoption of mechanization has not sufficiently matured.
Finally, the study concludes by suggesting the need for active family planning systems and
affordable services, rational livestock management and efficient use, and creation of
enabling environment for gradual adoption and development of mechanization
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Keywords
Role of Farm Power, Accelerating Agricultural