CROP DIVERSIFICATION AND ITS EFFECT ON YIELD AND FARMERS RESILIENCE: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM ABESHGIE DISTRICT, IN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Crop diversification, which is growing more than one crop in a plot, is one of a workable climate wise agriculture approach that boosts crop yield, which in turn helps to enhance farming system resilience for the smallholder farmers. This thesis aims to identify factors affecting the extent of crop diversification in rural farmers in Ethiopia taking Abeshgie district as a case study. It also quantified the effect crop diversification on yield and farmers resilience. Primary data was gathered using structured survey questionnaire carried out by well-trained enumerators and supervisors. Using two stage sampling design a total sample of 303 farmers were selected. Linear regression and moment based flexible models were used to analyze the data. The result suggests that, crop diversification is 0.568, which shows moderate level of crop diversification. Crop diversification extent is positively and significantly affected by credit use, access to agricultural training, mass media use, total land farmers hold, distance from the market, experience of climate change in previous years, and age of the farmers. Crop diversification increased agricultural yields by 19% and significantly cuts down on downside risk exposure and variation by 18% and 3% respectively. Since crop diversification has a significant positive effect on crop yields as well as reducing downside risks, farmers should improve and participate in their crop diversification activities. The government and other concerned body should have to provide credit service and give agricultural training to farmers in order to improve crop diversification levels and assure sustained agricultural developments.