ADMINISTRACION SOCIETARIA DEL COLEGIO SAN FRANCISCO

The production systems in both study sites consist of crop production and animal rearing activities. The benefits obtained from animals in these areas are manifold. Cattle, for instance provide labor power for plowing and threshing while donkeys and camels are used for transporting farm inputs and outputs. Animals also serve as a source of income to buy other inputs like inorganic fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides. In addition, the manure obtained from different animals is also used for soil fertility improvement in the crop production process. Crop residues and other green feedstuffs from the farmland are used as major animal feed sources.

Comparative description of study sites

53

However, the two sites are different with respect to the type and composition / proportion of crops, livestock, and time of growing crops, and availability and accessibility of different inputs such as water, animal feed and labor (Tables 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3).

Table 4.1 Production systems in Lenche Dima and Kuhar Michael (computed from information obtained from DAs and Key farmer informants)

Variable Indicators

Lenche Dima Kuhar Michael

Basic crop types

- Sorghum, teff and chick pea - Irrigation-based maize and

vegetables (onion and pepper)

- Rice (plain land), millet (upland), chick pea, rough pea, and lentil - Irrigation-based maize and

vegetables (onion and tomato) Other crops - Sesame, flux, noug, pea and wet

season pepper

- Teff, noug, wet season pepper, potato, barley and wheat High labor-

demand months

- August for weeding

- October and November for harvesting and collecting crop residue and storing on farmlanda

- July and August for weeding - September to December for

harvesting and collecting and carrying crop residue to residence

Livestock types

-Cattle, goats, sheep, donkeys, camels, chickens and bees (all traditional hives)

- Cattle, goats, sheep, donkeys, chickens and bees (traditional hives and a few modern ones)

Animal feed source

- Crop residue mainly from sorghum, farmland green feeds, open road-side and common grazing areas, crop aftermath, enclosed hills, etc.

- Communal and open grazing lands, crop residues, crop aftermath, farm land green feeds and private grazing land

a _{Labor is not required to carry residue except at time of need since crop residue is left on the farmland.}

Seasonality and diversification of crop and animal feed sources are relatively better in Kuhar Michael as compared to Lenche Dima (Table 4.1). As a result, crop and farm residues are available for all extended period of time. This implies that the area is a relatively better environment for agriculture and livestock production. The availability of open grazing land is also another potential for livestock keeping provided that grazing management, improved health services, markets, and other related inputs are made available. On the other hand, due to various labor-intensive farming activities

Comparative description of study sites

54

(Table 4.2 and 4.3), the demand for labor is high for about six months. Consequently, during these periods there is acute shortage of labor for livestock productivity improvement, especially for labor constrained households. In a nut shell, agricultural potential is lower in Lenche Dima as compared to Kuhar Michael (AMAREW 2007: 14).

Table 4.2 a Seasonal crop production activities and labor calendar for Lenche Dima Crop types grown in

order of priority

Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr MayJune July Aug Sorghum: Dogalit (slow

growing variety)

W - ½ H ½ H - P P S S - T W

Sorghum: Jigurty (fast growing variety) W - ½ H ½ H - - - P P S S W and T Teff: Bunign ½ H H TH - - P P P P P S W Teff: Tikureta - H TH - - P P P P P S W Teff: Magna - ½ H ½ H TH - P P P P P S W Chick pea ½ W ½ W ½ H ½ H - P P P P - - ½ S

Maize in back yard ½ H ½ H - - - - - - - P S W Sesame and sorghum - Late H H - - P P S S - - - Flux, sorghum and teff - H - - - - - - - S S - Noug, sorghum and teff - Late H ½ H - - P P P P - S -

Field pea H H - - - - - - - P S W

Pepper - Late H - - - - P P P P S/PL Ho

Maize (irrigated) - - - - - P S W W H - -

Pepper (irrigated) - - - PL - Ho Ho H - -

Onion (irrigated) - - - - - PL - Ho - H - -

Note: W=Weeding, H=Harvesting, S=Sowing, P=Plowing, T=Thinning, Ho= Hoeing, PL=Planting,

1/2=half of the month, Late refers to the end of the month

Table 4.1 b Scientific names for major crops growing in the study sites

English name Scientific name Amharic name

Teff eragrostis tef Teff

Rice oryza sativa (NERICA species) Russ

Finger Millet eleusine coracana Dagusa

Sorghum sorghum bicolar Mashila

Maize zea mays Bokolo

Wheat triticum aestivum Sinde

Comparative description of study sites

55

Table 4.3 Seasonal crop production activities and labor calendar for Kuhar Michael

Months Major activities Labor

demand

Labor management Remark Sep Tomato planting, teff harvesting,

and sowing of wheat and/or pulses

High Use own family labor, may hire 1 or 2 daily laborers; also collective work arrangements of human and animal labor Laborers are involved in harvesting and crop residue collection Oct Millet and rice harvesting, and

sawing of rough pea/chickpea

High Nov Plowing and onion planting High Dec Rice threshing and onion planting High Jan Millet and rice threshing and onion

planting

Shared Use own family labor or arrange sharing, collective work or exchange labor especially for plowing Feb Millet threshing and onion planting Shared

Mar Plowing, pulses harvesting and threshing

Family

Apr Plowing and land preparation Family May Sawing of millet, maize, barley,

tomato and noug

Family

June Sowing of rice and pepper, weeding

Family

July Teff and rice weeding, and tomato seedling preparation

Very high 3-4 laborers are hired, since weeding is labor intensive

Rice weeding 2 or 3 times Aug Rice weeding and tomato seedling

preparation

Very high

Urbanization has contributed to livestock development since the demand for livestock products has increased on the one hand and infrastructure has improved on the other. Moreover, farmers these days use alternative feed sources like crop and farm residues and purchase feed due to the dwindling of grazing resources. This is would further improve livestock water productivity thus minimize grazing land degradation, which is caused by overgrazing and soil compaction.