Rural-Rural Migration and Its impact to Crop Production, Commercialization and Asset Possession in North Gondar, North Western Ethiopia
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Date
2019-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Migration is one of the livelihood strategy for the rural farm household that supports the
farm agricultural household in different ways. Among the various types of migration,
internal migration took the leading which is 10 percent of the world population. In
Ethiopia, migration is a part and parcel of the livelihood of rural farmers. The historical
accounts of migration in Ethiopia, though was attached with political motive; it has been
formally recognized since 1950s and 1960s now as an economic motive following the wider
development of commercial agriculture in the country. Since then, rural-rural migration is
a leading phenomenon in Ethiopia exceeding rural-urban migration. Evidences suggested
that rural to rural migration since 1999 to 2013 shows, 37.4 percent 46 percent, and 34.6
percent respectively that still witness its dominance over other patterns of migration.
However, the emphasis for rural-rural migration has been given very low in the
development discourses in the context of poor countries. Unless obsessed by the urban bias
migration literature, the rural-urban migration is not like what the majority of the
literatures arguing in developing countries. In Ethiopia, rural to rural migration continues
to lead the internal migration pattern. In this study, one of the prime purpose is to show
how migration income affected the use of agricultural inputs and thereby influence
smallholder commercialization which is the critical to transform the agriculture as well as
the overall rural economy. On top of that, there are studies currently that suggest the need
to delve deeper into the impact of migration on agricultural production and asset
possession. Cognizant to these gaps, the study has delve deeper into the impact of rural
to rural migration on three important outcomes (crop production, crop output
commercialization and asset possession) in North Western part of Ethiopia. The study used
the combination of quantitative and qualitative research approach in which quantitative
analysis such as econometric models (Like Endogenous Switching Regression Model,
Propensity Score Matching Model, and Seemingly Unrelated Regression Model) as well
as descriptive analysis with qualitative data from focused group discussions and key
informant interviews. The findings of study revealed that rural to rural migration has
positive and statistically significant impact on values of crop output production.
Specifically, we found that migration has showed positive impact on the migrant household
which is an equivalent to 235.96 kg or 2.35 quintal of Teff that dominantly grown in the
area. On the other hand, we found no effect on the technical efficiency of the migrant
households. On the reverse, had the non-migrants migrated the study confirm
improvements in technical efficiencies. With the same vein, labour migration had positive
and statistically significant impact on crop output commercialization and overall asset
possession. As a way forward, this study points the need to examine the synergies that exist
within the rural economy itself and also rethink the implication of rural-rural migration as
how it reinforces each other for the success of rural development through mainstreaming
rural-rural migration into development policies, strategies and plans at various levels.
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development policies, strategies and plans