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1 Getnet, Kindie; Haileslasseie, Amare; Dessalegne, Y.; Hagos, Fitsum; Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria. 2016. On the profitability of irrigated fodder production: comparative evidence from smallholders in Koga irrigation scheme, Ethiopia. Animal Production Science, 57(9):1962-1974. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1071/AN15651]
Irrigation schemes ; Irrigated farming ; Farm income ; Profitability ; Investment ; Smallholders ; Stochastic processes ; Livestock ; Risk management ; Grasslands ; Chloris gayana ; Crop production ; Feed crops ; Onions ; Tomatoes ; Wheat ; Barley / Ethiopia / Koga Irrigation Scheme
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047709)
Irrigated fodder production can be vitalised as a useful strategy to sustainably intensify subsistence livestock production owned and managed by smallholders and to diversify farm income through linkages to commercial livestock systems. However, uncertainty about the production and market environment of such a non-traditional commodity can be a major hindrance against commercialisation and scaling out of irrigated fodder production. This makes ex-ante analysis of profit portfolio and its determinants necessary in order to improve farmers’ investment and risk management decisions. Using a stochastic approach to farm profit analysis to account for business uncertainty, this paper simulated and compared the level and distribution of profit that smallholders in Koga irrigation scheme (Ethiopia) can generate from irrigated Rhodes grass seed and from traditional irrigated crops. The finding shows the absolute and comparative profitability of irrigated Rhodes grass seed. Though 0.19 times less profitable than irrigated onion, irrigated Rhodes grass seed is 4 times, 1.27 times, and 1.25 times more profitable than irrigated barley, irrigated wheat, and irrigated tomato, respectively. Profit from the commodity is robust to adverse business conditions such as yield reduction, cost increase, and price reduction, assuring optimism about positive financial returns from investments to expand production. Long-term business viability can be improved and farm income further stabilised through interventions targeted at fodder agronomy to enhance crop yield and at value chain development to improve market linkages and output price.
2 Erkossa, Teklu; Geleti, D.; Williams, Timothy O.; Laekemariam, F.; Haileslassie, Amare. 2022. Restoration of grazing land to increase biomass production and improve soil properties in the Blue Nile Basin: effects of infiltration trenches and Chloris gayana reseeding. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 37(S1):S64-S72. (Special issue: Restoring Degraded Landscapes and Fragile Food Systems) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742170519000425]
Land restoration ; Grazing lands ; Biomass production ; Soil properties ; Chloris gayana ; Trenches ; Resowing ; Soil conservation ; Water conservation ; Soil water content ; Soil quality ; Soil chemical properties ; Farmers ; Innovation platforms / Ethiopia / Blue Nile Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049501)
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/EF93585DCF6E543CEA679E80E1AF381A/S1742170519000425a.pdf/restoration_of_grazing_land_to_increase_biomass_production_and_improve_soil_properties_in_the_blue_nile_basin_effects_of_infiltration_trenches_and_chloris_gayana_reseeding.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049501.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049501.pdf
(0.54 MB) (552 KB)
Degradation of crop and grazing lands is a pervasive problem that negatively impacts agricultural productivity and livelihoods of crop-livestock farmers in the Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia. Area enclosure together with a cut and carry livestock feeding system is often advocated as an approach for the regeneration of degraded grazing lands. This paper reports the results of a two-year farmer participatory study conducted to assess the effects of infiltration trenches (ITs) and Chloris gayana Kunth (Rhodes grass; cultivar Masaba; tetraploid; C4 grass species) reseeding on restoration of degraded grazing lands. A split plot design was used with IT as the main plot and C. gayana reseeding as a sub-plot on 28 private grazing plots under enclosure. The results showed that IT alone increased soil moisture content and prolonged the growing period. IT and C. gayana reseeding together significantly (P = 0.05) increased herbage dry matter yield and improved soil chemical properties. The highest mean herbage dry matter yield (21 Mg ha-1 per cut) was recorded for plots treated with IT and reseeded with C. gayana. The higher herbage dry matter yield was attributed to increased soil moisture and the resultant prolonged growing period induced by the trenches coupled with the ability of C. gayana to effectively utilize the retained water. The results suggest that an integrated land management approach involving enclosure, in-situ water conservation and C. gayana reseeding can rapidly increase biomass productivity on degraded grazing lands while also enhancing soil quality with concomitant livelihood benefits for farmers.
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