Popularization of Finger Millet Production, Value Addition, and Marketing in Wayu Tuka Wereda, East Wollega Zone

Abstract

Merga Duressa and Amanuel Berhanu Bonso*

Finger millet is one of the most important food cereals and the crop is among the food security crops, widely used for food, local beverage preparation, and animal feed. In Ethiopia, the crop is mainly grown in the northern, northwestern, and western parts of the country, especially during the main rainy season. The nutritional value of the grain is high and it is used as an important staple food and generally consumed as Porridge. However, traditional farming practices such as sowing without fertilizers, lack of improved seed, low productivity of soil, inappropriate land preparation, lack of awareness on production value addition and marketing problems, and postharvest losses result in low production and productivity in the study area. Therefore this study aimed to popularize addition and improved Finger millet Variety production, value addition, and marketing in the study of the area. Thirty target farmers were selected purposively depending on their interest, acreage of lands they hold, and the numbers of target farmers were identified by using Yamane’s sample size determination formula. Data was collected by using interviews and analyzed by percentage, frequency, and table ranking. The derived result indicated that the finger millet production was ranged from 17.44-19.2 qt/ha with an average of 18.20 (Qt/ha). On the other hand, after the training session, the targeted farmers increased their knowledge to 86.67, 90, 80, 90, 86.67, 96.67, 83.33, and 86.67% on improved Finger millet seed variety (Boneya), row spacing, fertilizer rate, seed rate, sowing/ planting, weed control, and harvesting/threshing, respectively. As result, the value additions were increased by Place, time, and form to make a favorable market and better price, harvesting on time, storing perfectible condition when there is a favorable storage area, and change into the local brewery, mixed with teff for preparation of Enjera. Finally, the project contributed 2534.68 birrs profit and knowledge on land preparation, sowing method, weeding, fertilizer application rate and amount, harvesting time, and marketing awareness to the farmers. Generally, the research result indicated that improved Finger millet seed variety production is high, best suited to ecology, and greater than local practices were achieved in the demonstration site. Furthermore, the farmers should adapt to the use of new technology to increase their production and productivity of Finger millet, they must join forces and work together in forms of cooperatives.

blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog
blog