http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/1736 Thu, 27 Aug 2026 21:39:11 GMT 2026-08-27T21:39:11Z http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/16980 Adoption of Combine Harvester Custom Hiring and Its Impact on Crop Productivity and Farm Income: The Case of Smallholder Farmers in Northwestern Ethiopia. Gete, Tewodros Small holder farmers in Ethiopia can’t increase their productivity and income due to lack of agricultural mechanization, even though agricultural mechanization has crucial socioeconomic benefits. The traditional method of harvesting makes it difficult to perform various farm operations in a timely manner, resulting in worsening loss of crops on farms during harvesting and threshing. The adoption and impact of agricultural mechanization on smallholder farmers' crop productivity and income have not been adequately studied. The major objective of this study was to assess the impact of combine harvester custom hiring on households' crop productivity and farm income. As well, the study examined the smallholder farmer's decision to hire a combine harvester and its financial profitability. Multi-stage sampling was used to gather data from 450 households in seven sample kebeles from Gozamin, Baso Liben, and Debre Elias districts in northwestern Ethiopia. Descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, binary logit model, truncated Poisson model, and an endogenous switching regression (ESR) model were used to analyze the data. The logistic result shows that the educational status of the household head, immediate access of the combiner, average field distance to the main road, fear of unseasonal rain, extension contact, and mobile phone possession had a significant positive effect on the hiring decision of combine harvester. On the other hand, the male household head and the active family labor force impacted the hiring decision of a mechanical harvester negatively. In the truncated regression, active family labor force, oxen, immediate access, type of combiner leaser, and straw waste suspicion were significant determinants of the intensity of custom hiring on the farmer's wheat plots. According to the ESR model results, adopters' crop productivity and farm income increased by 5.60 quintals per hectare and 12764.34 birrs as a result of hiring combine harvesters. Non-adopters would also gain 6.10 quintals per hectare and 8051.82 birrs if they had been hired. The hiring of combine harvester technology has an indispensable contribution to the improvement of smallholder productivity and income and it is financially profitable. The government, private stakeholders, and other concerned parties should facilitate the custom hiring of existing machinery; besides importing or manufacturing agricultural machinery that is well suited to the Ethiopian agricultural system perspective so as to separate farmers from oxen and change traditional agriculture practices. Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/16980 2023-02-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/16948 Adoption of Apple Production and its Impact on Households' Income in Banja District, awi Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia Wubayehu Fekad Apple-based agroforestry plays a vital role in enhancing farmers' socioeconomic well-being. This study investigates the adoption of apple-production and assesses impact on household income in Banja district, using data from 341 households selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Primary data were collected through household surveys and interviews, supplemented by secondary sources. Descriptive statistics were used for preliminary analysis, while binary probit and endogenous switching regression (ESR) models were employed to examine adoption drivers and estimate income impacts, respectively. Results indicate that 49% of sampled households adopted apple- production. Household size, frequency of extension contact, apple production training, farming experience, seedling access and cost, landholding size, and access to market pricing information are all important elements in promoting applebased agroforestry adoption. In contrast, older age of the household head and pest or disease prevalence had a negative impact on adoption. Adopters of apple production earned 42,283 ETB, while non-adopters would have experienced a 12,074 ETB decrease in income if they had adopted the practice. According to the findings suggest that policymakers, extension agents, and local agricultural offices should promote adoption through targeted capacity building and sustained extension support. Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/16948 2025-06-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/16947 Lime Technology Adoption and its Determinants: the Case of Debre Elias District, East Gojjam, Amhara, Ethiopia Tirngo Solomon Adamu Agriculture is the pillar of Ethiopia’s economy. However, it is constrained by soil acidity. Soil acidity is one of the problems that have resulted in low productivity in the country. Researchers and development practitioners tried to alleviate soil acidity and increase agricultural production. The adoption lime technology remains to be a promising strategy to reduce soil acidity, achieve food security and reduce poverty in Ethiopia. Despite the efforts to promote adoption in the country, the adoption rate has always been very low. So, it is essential to understand the determinants to the adoption of lime technologies. Thus, the primary goal of this study, which was carried out in the Debre Elias district, was to identify the basic factors influencing farmers' adoption and intensity of lime technology. Data was collected from 366 households using a multi-stage sampling technique from three sample kebeles in Debre Elias district. For the study, both primary and secondary data were employed. Descriptive statistics such as percentage, mean, and standard deviation and inferential statistics such as independent t-tests and chi-square tests were used. Double hurdle model was also used to analyze the determinants of lime adoption intensity in the study. The result of the study in the probit model shows that farm size, training, land ownership, and extension service significantly and positively affected lime adoption participation. Whereas, distance to input market are significantly and negatively affected lime adoption participation. The truncated model result shows that the age of the household head and livestock holding significantly and positively affected lime adoption intensity. Farm size, extension service, and household size are significantly and negatively affected lime adoption intensity. Soil acidity treatment technologies adoption improvement requires training for households, increasing expert support, sharing experiences between adopters and non-adopters, and maximizing the adoption rate of lime by solving problems were some important ideas. Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/16947 2024-07-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/16946 Farmers’ Willingness to Pay For Improved Vegetable Extension Services in North mecha and fogera District: North west Ethiopia Tigist Damtew Modernizing the vegetable advisory service has significant promise in enhancing the production and profitability of smallholder vegetable farming in Ethiopia. However, current agricultural advisory service (AAS) operates as a public mandate that does not meet the demand due to extension agents’ overburdened and poor facilities at farmers’ training centers. Private paid extension agents has been proposed as one way to modernize the mostly strained public system that continues to be slow in addressing the need to transform smallholder farming to provide enough healthy foods. This study, therefore, investigated the willingness of smallholder vegetable farmers to pay for private improved vegetable advisory services using data collected from 393 household heads from two districts in northwestern Ethiopia. The study employed discrete choice experiments (DCE), with eighteen choice occasions generated using Ngene software that were blocked into three survey groups and 7074 choice observations. The several choice cards define the proposed extension service by varied attribute and attribute levels. The data was analyzed using a random parameter logit model. The results show heterogeneity in farmers’ willingness to pay for advisory services. Specifically, farmers of different socioeconomic backgrounds such as education status, gender and age exhibited heterogeneity over preferred features of vegetable advisory services. Small-scale vegetable farmers in Mecha and Fogera districts preferred receiving enhanced advisory services, which include frequent visits from experts and a more hands-on on-site advisory service, as opposed to cell-phone assisted and on-stop advisory methods. Likewise, farmers are more willing to invest in vegetable extension services that focus on fruity and root-tuber vegetables than leafy vegetables. Through these findings we propose that efforts to establish private enhanced advisories be situated within the contextual differences in preferences exhibited within the smallholder population. Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/16946 2024-07-01T00:00:00Z