Agriculture and Horticulture

Biography

Biography: Hailu Gebru

Abstract

Owing to its high nutritive value, potato has a great role in combating malnutrition and ensuring food security that commonly affect developing nations. However, its productivity in Ethiopia is far less than its potential. Therefore, potato production practices in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia were assessed in order to identify major constraints. Data were collected in two stages (pilot survey and the basic data collection). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 16.0. Moreover, Index Ranking Method was employed to identify those constraints that deserve the highest attention. Descriptive statistics showed that small land size (<0.5 per household), less access and high price of seed tubers of improved varieties (25 US$ 100 kg^-1), limited application of fertilizers (147 and 135 kg ha^-1 of Urea and DAP, respectively) and low productivity of potato (14.3 t ha^-1) constrained production and utilization of potato in the study area. Furthermore, results of the multiple regressions denoted that occurrence of natural hazards, seeding rate and expensive price of improved seed tubers were important factors that significantly influence potato productivity. According to the index ranking method, among others in the study area disease incidence, low market price of potato yield at harvesting time (market glut), storage problems and insufficient seed tubers were the four major constraints identified. In conclusion, the results of this study have revealed that potato production by smallholder farmers is constrained by a number of factors among which diseases, low market prices of tubers at harvest but expensive during planting, use of low rate of seed tubers for planting, storage problems, scarcity of seed tubers and limited access to improved varieties were found to be the four major constraints of producing the crop in the study area.