Practices, Challenges, And Opportunities Of Vegetables Production And Mabagement By Smallholder Farming Households In Selected Rural Villages Of Ambo District, West Shoa Zone,Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Vegetable production practice is the mainstay of the country's economy and the major source of foreign exchange earnings and the stimulant for the living standard of farmers it stimulates the income of small holder farming house hold and domestic consumption. Different types of vegetables are grown in the study area with different intensities in terms of land and other input allocation, Vegetable via improving the income of producing household and improving the productivity of food crop production. In this study, an attempt was made to Assess practices of vegetable production and management, challenges of vegetable production and management and opportunity of vegetable production by small holder farming household. The study is based on primary data collected from respondent rural kebeles surrounding Ambo district sample selected at random using questionnaire. Additional information was also obtained from focus group discussion, key informant interview and personal observation. The data has been analyzed by descriptive statistics using SPSS software. Qualitative data were used to substantiate the responses of questionnaire. The study found that, majority of vegetable producers’ households have been found to be better living than their nonproducing counterparts. Similarly, it was observed that income from vegetable was used to cover other expenditures such as education, health, and wage for laborers. Moreover the study found out that, weak extension support service, limited land holding, lack of access to credit, limited supply of improved seed, marketing and market information, outbreak of disease and pest are some of the most important challenges. The drawbacks in the absence and quality of extension service were among the strong problems mentioned apart from the other challenges. Finally, the researcher recommends that in promoting vegetable producer households, continues assessment of practices of vegetable production to household income generation, intensified agricultural farming, problems related to extension service, credit service, market and marketing information, and provision of modern agricultural inputs should be addressed.