| Peer-Reviewed

Farming System Characterization of Arsizone: Case of Small-Scale Farming

Received: 2 November 2018     Accepted: 1 February 2019     Published: 28 February 2019
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

Precise technological intervention and policy support needs identification and characterization of farm types. Therefore, farming system characterization is a vital activity for agricultural technologies generators or researchers, development practitioners and policy makers. Therefore, this farming system characterization research activity was initiated with objectives of identifying and characterizing the crop production system, identifying and prioritizing the major production system of agriculture in Arsi zone and to forward the possible intervention mechanisms for each farming typology. In general the farming system in Arsi zone is a crop-livestock mixed farming with small amount of lowland pastoralists. In this research further classification of farming typologies were identified. Accordingly, around seven broadly categorized farming typologies were identified which are lowland agro-pastoral, coffee-khat tree based, irrigation based, highland barley-root crop based maize-sorghum based, mechanized wheat belt farm type and non-mechanized wheat belt. The production potentials and constraints for each farming system typology were also discussed in this research output report. Constraints that could be tackled by research centers and development practitioners like office of agriculture and natural resource development, livestock resource development, irrigation development offices and support institutions like cooperatives and credit institutions were identified and prioritized. Though there is tendency of hasty generalization of Arsi zone as wheat enterprise specialized farming typology from policy makers, in this research finding it was recognized that Arsi zone has a diversified farming system that need multiple solutions from different experts and disciplines.

Published in American Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics (Volume 4, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajere.20190401.12
Page(s) 12-24
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2019. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Farming System Characterization, Small Scale Farming, Farming Typologies, Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State

References
[1] FAO. 1994. FARMING SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT: A participatory approach to helping small-scale farmers.
[2] FAO. 1990. Farming Systems Development: Guidelines for the conduct of a training course in Farming Systems Development. Rome, Italy.
[3] Dixon, J., Gulliver, A., Gibbon, D. 2001. Farming systems and poverty: improving farmers' livelihoods in a changing world. Rome: FAO.
[4] Tittonell, P., Muriukid, A., Shepherde, K. D., Mugendif, D., Kaizzig, K. C., Okeyoa, J., Verchote, L., Coee, R., Vanlauwea, B. 2010. The diversity of rural livelihoods and their influence on soil fertility in agricultural systems of East Africa – A typology of smallholder farms. Agricultural Systems. 103 (2), 83-97.
[5] Chambers, R., Pacey, A., Thrupp, L. A. 1989. Farmer first: farmer innovation and agricultural research, London: Intermediate Technology Publications.
[6] Ojiem, J., Ridder, N., Vanlauwe, B., Giller, K. E. 2006. Socio-ecological niche: a conceptual framework for integration of legumes in smallholder farming systems. International Journal of Agric. Sustainability. 4(1), 79–93.
[7] Ganpat, W., Bekele, I. 2001. Looking for the trees in the forest: farm typology as a useful tool in defining targets for extension. In: Emerging Trends in Agricultural and Extension Education (J. R. Lindner, ed.), Proceedings of the 17th Annual Conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education. 4-7 Arpil 2001, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
[8] Timothy, W. O. 1994. Identifying target groups for livestock improvement research: The classification of sedentary livestock producers in western Niger. Agricultural Systems. 46, 227–237.
[9] Vanclay, J. K. 2005. Using a typology of tree-growers to guide forestry extension. Annals of Tropical Research. 27(1), 97–103.
[10] Oromia Bureau of Finance and Economic Development (OBOFED) (2011). Physical and Socio Economic Profile ofArsi Zone and Districts‟. The National Regional Government of Oromia, Bureau of Finance and d Economic Development –Regional Data and Information Core Process.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Tamrat Gebiso Challa, Aman Nebo Tibesso, Ashebir Tsegayie Mamo. (2019). Farming System Characterization of Arsizone: Case of Small-Scale Farming. American Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics, 4(1), 12-24. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajere.20190401.12

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Tamrat Gebiso Challa; Aman Nebo Tibesso; Ashebir Tsegayie Mamo. Farming System Characterization of Arsizone: Case of Small-Scale Farming. Am. J. Environ. Resour. Econ. 2019, 4(1), 12-24. doi: 10.11648/j.ajere.20190401.12

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Tamrat Gebiso Challa, Aman Nebo Tibesso, Ashebir Tsegayie Mamo. Farming System Characterization of Arsizone: Case of Small-Scale Farming. Am J Environ Resour Econ. 2019;4(1):12-24. doi: 10.11648/j.ajere.20190401.12

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ajere.20190401.12,
      author = {Tamrat Gebiso Challa and Aman Nebo Tibesso and Ashebir Tsegayie Mamo},
      title = {Farming System Characterization of Arsizone: Case of Small-Scale Farming},
      journal = {American Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics},
      volume = {4},
      number = {1},
      pages = {12-24},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajere.20190401.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajere.20190401.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajere.20190401.12},
      abstract = {Precise technological intervention and policy support needs identification and characterization of farm types. Therefore, farming system characterization is a vital activity for agricultural technologies generators or researchers, development practitioners and policy makers. Therefore, this farming system characterization research activity was initiated with objectives of identifying and characterizing the crop production system, identifying and prioritizing the major production system of agriculture in Arsi zone and to forward the possible intervention mechanisms for each farming typology. In general the farming system in Arsi zone is a crop-livestock mixed farming with small amount of lowland pastoralists. In this research further classification of farming typologies were identified. Accordingly, around seven broadly categorized farming typologies were identified which are lowland agro-pastoral, coffee-khat tree based, irrigation based, highland barley-root crop based maize-sorghum based, mechanized wheat belt farm type and non-mechanized wheat belt. The production potentials and constraints for each farming system typology were also discussed in this research output report. Constraints that could be tackled by research centers and development practitioners like office of agriculture and natural resource development, livestock resource development, irrigation development offices and support institutions like cooperatives and credit institutions were identified and prioritized. Though there is tendency of hasty generalization of Arsi zone as wheat enterprise specialized farming typology from policy makers, in this research finding it was recognized that Arsi zone has a diversified farming system that need multiple solutions from different experts and disciplines.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Farming System Characterization of Arsizone: Case of Small-Scale Farming
    AU  - Tamrat Gebiso Challa
    AU  - Aman Nebo Tibesso
    AU  - Ashebir Tsegayie Mamo
    Y1  - 2019/02/28
    PY  - 2019
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajere.20190401.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajere.20190401.12
    T2  - American Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics
    JF  - American Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics
    JO  - American Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics
    SP  - 12
    EP  - 24
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2578-787X
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajere.20190401.12
    AB  - Precise technological intervention and policy support needs identification and characterization of farm types. Therefore, farming system characterization is a vital activity for agricultural technologies generators or researchers, development practitioners and policy makers. Therefore, this farming system characterization research activity was initiated with objectives of identifying and characterizing the crop production system, identifying and prioritizing the major production system of agriculture in Arsi zone and to forward the possible intervention mechanisms for each farming typology. In general the farming system in Arsi zone is a crop-livestock mixed farming with small amount of lowland pastoralists. In this research further classification of farming typologies were identified. Accordingly, around seven broadly categorized farming typologies were identified which are lowland agro-pastoral, coffee-khat tree based, irrigation based, highland barley-root crop based maize-sorghum based, mechanized wheat belt farm type and non-mechanized wheat belt. The production potentials and constraints for each farming system typology were also discussed in this research output report. Constraints that could be tackled by research centers and development practitioners like office of agriculture and natural resource development, livestock resource development, irrigation development offices and support institutions like cooperatives and credit institutions were identified and prioritized. Though there is tendency of hasty generalization of Arsi zone as wheat enterprise specialized farming typology from policy makers, in this research finding it was recognized that Arsi zone has a diversified farming system that need multiple solutions from different experts and disciplines.
    VL  - 4
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Agricultural Economics and Extension Directorate, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Asella, Ethiopia

  • Agricultural Economics and Extension Directorate, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Asella, Ethiopia

  • Agricultural Engineering Directorate, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Asella, Ethiopia

  • Sections