Economic Analysis of Tef Yield Response to different Sowing Methods: Experience from Illuababora Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Tef (Eragrostis tef) is a major staple food crop in Ethiopia and used to prepare a spongy flat bread called enjera which is consumed by about 70% of the Ethiopian population. Promotion of different tef sowing method had been one of the areas of intervention to improve the productivity of tef by AGP (Agricultural Growth Program) since 2011. Substantial improvement in tef grain yield was observed though some of the sowing methods were perceived as a labor intensive by smallholder farmers. In the study area the economic feasibility of the introduced sowing technologies under the farmers’ condition was not yet evaluated.  Hence experiments on tef sowing methods were conducted with the objective to economically evaluate and select appropriate sowing technologies under smallholder farmers` condition. The data was collected from Bedelle and Dhidhessa districts of Illuababora zone and subjected to the economic analysis method of CIMMYT (1988). The economic return from four methods namely, hand broadcasting method, ATA machine broadcasting method, row planting and transplanting method were evaluated.  The yield obtained from the row planting was 42 % higher than hand broadcasting method. The transplanting method improved the yield of tef crop by 44% than the yield obtained through row planting method. Nevertheless, the net benefit obtained from transplanting (12,670 birr/ha) was found to be 45% less than the broadcasting (18476 birr/ha) method. The transplanting method was failed to be economically feasible option demanding  further refinement with regards to its labor intensiveness. In contrast, the ATA machine broadcaster gave a MRR of 740% as compared to hand broadcasting method while the farmers obtained 94% MRR from the row planting. On a tentative basis farmers could thus choose ATA manual broadcasting machine as compared to hand broadcasting for highest economic return. In order to gain optimum economic advantage from row planting and transplanting methods, improving their labour intensive nature through participatory approach would be a key area of future research.

Keywords :  Quncho tef , broadcasting, row planting , transplanting  MRR,ATA.