Agriculture is the main stay of the nation economy and 85 per cent of the population engaged in this sector at subsistence level.
Crops that supplied to the domestic market come from agriculture. As the second populous country in Africa next to Nigeria, paying attention to the sector helps to accelerate the intended progress in addition to feeding the growing population.
Moreover, it supports other sectors such as manufacturing and industry. But as a rain fed agriculture, the sector is vulnerable to various challenges particularly to the erratic weather condition. However, through the implementation of adaptation mechanism and early warning system, it is possible to manage the challenge.
Currently, the small-scale farming through the utilization of better farming techniques, inputs such as selective seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides and others are enhancing crop productivity per hectare.
Abdusemed Abdu, Crop Development Directorate Director in the Ministry of Agriculture, said that through attitudinal change and the implementation of better technique recently, crop productivity on small-scale farms have risen and the productivity of crops such as maize, wheat and barely has been increasing per hectare.
These achievements have been realized by the farmers dedication and by the support of agricultural research and extension workers.
The increment of crop yield helps the farmers to rise their income which enables them to purchase agricultural input on their own with out resorting to credit facility from the government. Currently, only 15 per cent of small-scale farmers receive agricultural input through credit system.
On the other hand, in the areas were sufficient rain available farmers could gain surplus value from their products by supplying to the agro-business industries such as pasta and macaroni. Pulses producers, on the other hand, could involve in the value chain of export market with that they could benefit a lot.
As mentioned earlier, agriculture is vulnerable to various challenges and among others currently the spread of plant diseases has become worrisome.
With the expansion of modern farm, exogenous seeds have been flowing to the country and some infected seeds could transfer the diseases to the indigenous crops and if the situation continue with out scrutinizing, it might compromise the biodiversity. Side by side the spread of weed in the high land areas consume the attention of professionals.
In this regard, the Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the other stakeholders, has been trying its level best to address the problem.
In mitigating the problem, there are numerous research institutions which devote their energy to that end. Researchers every time try to improve seeds in order to resist drought and disease and when they find a new hybrid they reproduce it and distribute to the farmers. Currently, among other crops wheat is highly vulnerable to the diseases.
And to overcome the problem two approaches are deployed. The first one distributing disease resistant seeds and providing chemicals to the farmers right after the planting time. In the coming harvest season about 63 million quintals of cereals expected to be harvested and for the 10 per cent of the product anti pest chemicals already reserved for preemptive measure if unusual phenomena would occur.
In addition to supplying food to the local market, small-scale farms also support the export market. In this regard, pulses and oil seeds can be mentioned. In the north western part of the country pulses and oil seeds intensively produced by small-holder farmers and the ares has high potential in export earning for the future.
However, like other crops, pluses are vulnerable to extreme weather and they need adaptation mechanism. As we know farming in Ethiopia is a century old practice and because of various purposes such as the need for agricultural land, wood for the household energy and construction, the vegetation cover of the surrounding areas are ravaged. Soil depletion and land degradation is a common phenomena for long.
In the high land areas, the feasibility of farming is very unlikely. The prevalence of global warming and climate change further aggravate the situation.
Hence, we should consider that with out the proper management of the natural resource achieving food self sufficiency is unthinkable. Because of this, scaling up of the ongoing natural resources and basins management is timely and essential.
Particularly in the highlands of northern parts of Ethiopia, surface and under ground waters have been replenished, afforestation brought positive outcomes. And the depletion of soil minimized in general; the ecosystem recovered; however, as the problem is complicated and deep rooted, the challenging task lies a head of us.
The other factor that contributes for the degradation of natural resource that need remedy is traditional cattle raring system. Cattle grazing practised in open space even in steep slop areas; this in turn, aggravate soil degradation which brings ecosystem crises.
To curb the problem, professionals suggest to minimize the number of cattle and applying enclosure system for grazing land. Minimizing the number of cattle reduces the possible impact on the land. The cattle movement also not advisable for their health.
They burn more calorie due to the movement and with that no fat left to their body that results in big loss. But if farmers reduce their numbers, of the cattle, could manage them in the surrounding areas and moving from place to place for search of water will be unnecessary. Thus, cattle raring through enclosure system brought tremendous result particularly in the high land areas.
In sum, the nation’s food self sufficiency heavily relies on the small-scale farming. According to the International Food Research Institute based in Addis Ababa, food self sufficiency in small-scale farm is proved in Vietnam and China. In both countries, the land tenure system has similarity in which land is public property by law.
The majority of farmers engaged in small-scale farm could attain food self sufficiency by utilizing better farming method. By now, they could export rice to the out side market. Hence, taking lesson and sharing experience from these countries might be helpful to boost agricultural productivity. Thus, strengthening the support to the small-scale farmers through extension programme is essential.