A Study on Agricultural Production, Environmental Degradation and Carrying . Capacity in Debay Tilatgin Wereda, East Gojjam.
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Date
1999-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The general objective of this study has been to investigate the relationship between the
population ands resource base of De bay Ti latgin Wereda, East Gojjam. Specifically, this
study was concerned with the assessment of food production, resource degradation and
examination of peasant's perception towards their environment. The data for the study
was obtained from the survey of 250 sampled households through questionnaire, group
discussions, field observation and consultation of various documents and personal
communication with concerned officials both at the Wereda and PA levels.
The methods of data analysis applied in this study are both descriptive and inferential
statistics. Linear Regression Model has been applied to identify the major factors
affecting yield of crops in the study area. Population Support Capacity (PSC) Model, in
tum, has been used to assess the carrying capacity of the study area. The results are
interpreted and presented in the form of tables.
Although the area is in high potential cereal zone, the analysis of the available data has
paradoxically revealed that poor natural resource base as compared to the requirement of
the present human and livestock popUlation characterize the study area. The current
agri cultural density in the study area is about 3 persons per hectare. On the bases of
household survey, the average cultivated land per fanning household is about l.5 ha
(with an average household size of 6.4). The holding is fragmented indicating an
average of four parcels for each household.
The fact that farming tools and production techniques are traditional best manifests the
rudimentariness of falming technology in the study area. The application of fann inputs
is very low with an average oxen possession of l.8 per household . Fertilizer application
too is very low and is limited to the lower Dega. All these aspects taken together
accounts for the low yield per unit area, which characterizes the study area. This is best
illustrated by average production per household, which is about 12 quintals of all crops
with an average yield of7.9 qtlha.The anal ys is of variation of yield usmg Coefficient of Variation (C.V) index has
indicated that variation of yield between di fferent crops is not high in the study area. The
dominantly grown crops are wheat, barley, tef[ and pulses respectively. The analysis of
Crop Concentration Index (CCI) and Relative Average Yield Index (RA YI) have
indicated that peasants in the study area are not effici ent in their land use decision. The
regression analysis, on the other hand, has indicated that the major factors affecting
yield are oxen possession, size of cultivated land, labor input, so il eros ion, and stock
density. All of them taken together have explaining about 79% of the variations in yield
in the study area.
The PSC assessment has shown that the current level of agricultural technology,
available arable land and forage resources are enough only for 78% and 49% of human
and livestock population respectively. A surplus (about 20.3%) is observed in cropland
requirement when allowing an anticipated 50% increment. The carrying Capacity of
forage resources is at critical stage both at the present level of farming technology and at
an anticipated 50% increment in yield. In general, there is an overall resource deficit in
the study area indicating population pressure.
The effects of population pressure is manifested in the expansIOn of cultivation to
ecologically fragi le areas, deforestation, overgrazing and accelerated soil erosion
resulting in subsequent decline of yield per unit area. The response of peasants for
declining production and ever worsening resource degradation is not encouraging. The
problem lies somewhere else and is related to policy issues such as security problems.
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Keywords
Environmental Degradation