Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension

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    Dairy Value Chain Analysis and its Challenges: The case of Raya-Alamata Woreda, Southern Zone, Tigray Regional State
    (Mekelle University, 2025-04-17) Alefu Abreha
    In Raya-Alamata, Tigray Ethiopia, dairy is recognized as a multifunctional livelihood activity. However, the sector is not well integrated with market systems and other value chain functions, leaving the associated challenges and opportunities unclear. This study aims to examine the dairy value chain and its challenges in Raya-Alamata. Data were collected from 155 respondents, including producers, retailers, and consumers, using a household survey. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a probit model. The results indicate that the dairy value chain faces several constraints, such as inadequate feed, which reduces milk production, and animal diseases that lower yields and negatively impact herd health. Limited access to credit and financial resources restricts farmers from investing in the sector, while inadequate veterinary services hinder effective disease management. Additionally, the absence of organized marketing channels and processing centers limits farmers' selling options and bargaining power, and low milk prices discourage expansion. The cost-benefit analysis of milk production reveals that producers incur an average cost of 32 birr per liter, selling it at 98.7 birr, resulting in a profit of 66.7 birr per liter. Retailers sell milk at 120 birr, earning 15.3 birr per liter after incurring monthly marketing costs of 429,272.2 birr. Producers add significant value at 67.5%, while retailers contribute 12.5%. This analysis underscores the profitability of milk production and the importance of understanding cost dynamics within the dairy value chain. Moreover, the probit model identifies several key factors influencing milk market supply. The age of the household head positively affects milk supply, as older producers tend to have more experience and better networks. Conversely, larger land sizes may decrease milk supply, likely because farmers diversify into other crops and livestock instead of focusing solely on milk production. Additionally, as consumer demand increases, producers are likely to boost their milk supply in response. Finally, improved access to market information enables producers to make informed decisions, leading to increased milk supply as they respond effectively to market trends.
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    Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Moringa Production, Consumption Patterns Among Smallholder Farmers, and Utilization in Abergele District, Central Tigray Zone, Ethiopia
    (Mekelle University, 2025-05-17) Selemon Teklie
    Moringa oleifera, a plant renowned for its nutritional and medicinal properties, holds significant potential for addressing food insecurity and improving livelihoods, particularly in developing regions. This study investigates the socioeconomic factors that influence Moringa production, household consumption patterns, and utilization purposes among smallholder farmers in the Abergele District of the Central Tigray Zone, Ethiopia. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed. Abergele Woreda was purposefully selected, followed by the selection of three Kebeles (Mearey, Lemlem, and Embarufael) from a total of 13 Kebeles in the Woreda, based on production levels and accessibility. A sample of 234 household heads (93 Moringa producers and 141 non-producers) was selected using stratified and simple random sampling. Data were collected through structured questionnaires from household surveys, semi structured interviews with agricultural experts and community leaders (KII), and focus group discussions (FGD) with farmers. The study employed multiple statistical tools such as binary logistic regression, chi-square tests, and ANOVA to validate quantitative findings. Results from the binary logistic regression indicated that the age of the household head, access to extension services, education level, and marital status positively and significantly influenced Moringa production. Conversely, engagement in non-farm activities and membership in savings and credit cooperatives had a negative and significant impact. Regarding consumption, 54.6% of respondents consumed Moringa leaves by adding them to beverages, 40.0% in cooked forms, and 5.4% raw. The primary perceived purpose of Moringa was medicinal (67.8%), followed by nutritional (26.7%), with limited awareness of its environmental protection (5.2%) and water purification (0.3%) benefits. The study concludes that Moringa production is influenced by a combination of demographic, socioeconomic, and institutional factors (age, education, marital status, and extension services). While consumption is higher among producers due to perceived medicinal benefits, a lack of awareness regarding its full nutritional and economic advantages among nonproducers hinders broader adoption. To promote Moringa, it is essential to integrate it into food security policies, invest in processing facilities, provide agronomic training, and enhance community awareness through targeted extension services.
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    Effects of war on rural household food security case of Hawzien District, Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia
    (Mekelle University, 2025-06-17) Gebremichael Gebretinsae
    Armed civil wars carry various direct and indirect costs that strongly affect households‘ living conditions at the time of the war and for many years thereafter. The war in Tigray affected many household livelihoods. However, to what extent the war affected the household food security was not yet studied. Hence, this research intended to assess the effect of war on household food security at household level in Tigray region. This study was employed simple random sampling to select Hawzien district. For this purpose, 219 sample household were selected form three Tabies of the district randomly. Therefore, data were collected using household survey, focus group discussion and key informant interview. Furthermore, the collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and OLS regression model. The effect of war on household food security was analyzed using OLS regression. Accordingly, the OLS regression model indicates that war severity index (CSI) reveals a strong negative effect food security, with a positive coefficient indicating that increased war intensity leads to significantly higher food insecurity levels. Conversely, food availability decreases with greater war severity, highlighting disruptions in supply chains, agricultural destruction, and community displacement. Despite some improvements in food access and dietary diversity, many households resort to detrimental coping strategies, including selling assets and consuming seed stock, jeopardizing future food security. Therefore, implement immediate food relief programs to address acute food shortages in the most affected households with collaborate of NGOs and international organizations to provide food aid and nutritional support.
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    Rhamnus prinoides-based Agroforestry for Climate-Smart Agriculture in Drylands of Tigray, Ethiopia
    (Mekelle University, 2025-02-13) Destaalem Gebremeskel
    Agriculture is the backbone of socioeconomic development in many developing countries, but climate variability and land degradation are threatening productivity and income. Adopting climate-smart agricultural practices has been increasingly suggested as a solution. Locally practiced tree-based farming systems, such as agroforestry, can offer a promising solution, helping farmers boost productivity, adapt to climate change, and sequester carbon. However, the role and potential of agroforestry practices depend on many socioeconomic and biophysical factors, suggesting for the need of context-specific study. Integrating R. prinoides trees/shrubs with crops is local or indigenous practice in Tigray, Ethiopia providing multiple benefits. Thus, this PhD study aimed at assessing the distribution and characteristics, socioeconomic benefits, and adaptation and mitigation roles of Rhamnus prinoides-based agroforestry practice in four consecutive chapters. Using Maxent model, the future distribution of R. prinoides agroforestry under climate change scenarios was predicted, showing that suitable areas may shrink. R. prinoides is successful in the highlands and midlands with moderate temperature, good soil, and partial sunlight. Field surveys of 191 households practicing R. prinoides agroforestry reveal that the system thrives in rain-fed areas and is particularly resilient due to its inverse phenology, which reduces competition with crops, and optimizes water use. R. prinoides-based agroforestry is not only more profitable than traditional wheat farming, yielding three times higher returns, but also creates additional employment and strengthens land use rights, with women playing a central role in harvesting and income management. The practice enhances farmers’ resilience by diversifying production and stabilizing income throughout the year. Beyond social and economic benefits, R. prinoides agroforestry contributes significantly to climate change mitigation, with carbon stocks up to three times higher than in annual crop mono-cropping systems. This research underscores the importance of context-specific agroforestry systems that align with both biophysical and socioeconomic factors. Scaling up R. prinoides agroforestry and similar practices can play a critical role in meeting global climate-smart agriculture goals, offering a sustainable path for smallholder farmers to thrive in the face of climate change. Incorporating tree-based farming into agricultural practices not only boosts productivity but also helps mitigate climate impacts, making it a key strategy for building resilient and sustainable agricultural systems worldwide.
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    Analysis of Potato Value Chain and its impact on farming household’s economic welfare: The case of Tsaeda-Emba Woreda, Eastern Zone, Tigray Regional State
    (Mekelle University, 2025-04-17) Yemane Kidane Reda
    Various project-based initiatives including those led by the International Potato Center (CIP) have been implemented to upgrade the potato value chain in the region. However, despite these targeted interventions, the actual contribution of potato production to the welfare of smallholder producers remains inadequately understood. Therefore, further efforts were made to empirically examine how potato value chain impacts households’ income and consumption expenditure to improve our understanding of the welfare implications of the crop. The study aimed to identify actors and their roles, analyze benefit distributions of actors, assessing the impacts of potato value chain on households’ economic welfare. For this study 137 potato producers, 137 nonproducers were randomly selected, 5wholesalers, 3collectors, 9 retailers and 5 small scale processors were purposefully selected. Value chain mapping was used to identify actors, their roles and linkages. Endogenous switching regression model was employed to identify determinants of participation decision and to analyse welfare impacts through Average Treatment effect on the Treated (ATT) estimates in potato value chain business. The identified key actors in potato value chain were input suppliers, producers, wholesalers, collectors, retailers, small scale processors and consumers. Main supporting actors were office of agriculture and rural development, micro finance institutions, (union) cooperatives, trade and market development office, Mekelle Agricultural Research Centre, NGOs and banks that found in the woreda. The results of economic analysis revealed that 86% profit goes to small scale potato processors and 5.8% profit margin was captured by potato producers respectively. The rest actors (collectors, wholesalers and retailers) received profit margins of 2.4%, 1.5% and 4.3% respectively. The results of ESR model analysis showed that gender, farming experience, access to credit, irrigation cooperative’s membership, demonstration sits visit, listening to radio programs, and access to irrigation influenced participation decision significantly and positively. Age, family size, training frequency, food shortage experiences affected potato participation decision negatively. Economic welfare of potato producers’ is much higher than non-producers’ because their annual income, annual consumption expenditure, food consumption score and household diet diversity score is increased by 50.7%, 48.7%, 13.7% and 23.3% respectively.
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    Determinants of Cooperative Marketing Development in Tigray, Ethiopia: The Case of Consumer Cooperative Societies in Mekelle.
    (Mekelle University, 2025-04-17) Yemane Gebremeskel Gebrehiwet
    The overarching objective of this study was to investigate determinant factors affecting consumer cooperative marketing development: The case of consumer cooperatives in Mekelle of Tigray. In response to the objective, a descriptive research design was employed by using mixed research, which comprises both quantitative and qualitative methods. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used. Data were gathered through questionnaires and key informant interviews. Purposive sampling was used to select the study area Mekelle due to the potentiality of the consumer cooperatives. To collect representative and reliable data, 334 respondents were selected from the target population using a random sampling technique. The data gathered through the Likert scale questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS software version 27. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression model analysis were also used to magnify and verify the effect of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The study found that consumer cooperatives lose the user-control principle due to a lack of rigorous auditing and financial reporting, which fosters distrust between members and the board of directors. However, members have equal voting power, vote democratically, exercise their rights at general assembly meetings, and support the user control principle. The study also found that the cooperative's service delivery and supply of goods were insufficient, members practically do not user benefit of the cooperatives and members' sense of ownership and user benefits of the cooperative have been weakened. The study admitted that the cooperative and its members lack market information. Similarly, cooperatives' market interactions with unions and other organizations were found to be poor and insufficient. The cooperatives lack a strategic and business plan development, leading cooperatives to uncertainty about where to go and what to do in both long and short-term programs. The youth's participation in cooperative membership and marketing activities was also found to be limited, and thus, the cooperative's long-term survival would be restricted and affect its market development. Gender diversity was found to strengthen the board's monitoring role by providing diverse viewpoints on the cooperative; however, board gender diversity in the cooperative has weakened, and there is no clear legislative framework to promote women on the board of directors. Despite the board directors' education qualifications having a positive effect on cooperative market development, they lack the necessary skills and experience to lead and manage the cooperatives, and the board's academic qualifications were not considered during general assembly elections, implying weak governance in the cooperative. Sadly, cooperatives are now led without policies and strategies, which would undoubtedly hinder cooperative market development. The study ascertained that there was a statistically significant and positive relationship (effect) between the marketing and governance predictors with market development. This revealed that the marketing variables such as market linkage, member participation, economic motivation, and member cooperative knowledge, and the governance variables board commitment, board communication, board gender diversity, board qualification, and government intervention were found to be a strong correlation and statically significant positive effect on the dependent variable (market development of consumer cooperatives). Implying that effective use of these predictors influences and enhances the market development of consumer cooperatives in the study area. The most difficult challenges found in cooperatives are the lack of strategic collaboration among cooperatives, a serious lack of knowledge of cooperative marketing, and a lack of procedures and guidelines for marketing. The study recommends that cooperatives should consult trained professionals or hire experts to develop strategic business plans, the government must develop cooperative policies and strategies to build cooperatives, during general assembly elections, coops should consider the board's academic qualifications, develop a legislative framework to promote women on the board of directors, coops should work solidly to ward youth participation in membership and marketing activities, build solid relationships with unions and other organizations that can broaden their market transactions.