Abstract:
Understanding the role that urban agriculture plays in the livelihoods of urban farmers in particular and
the urban society at large helps to realize the relevance of the sector in urban poverty alleviation and to
give due attention to it during urban development policy reforms. This study was aimed to assess
practices, challenges and opportunities of urban agriculture in shenen town. And the main objective of
the study was to assess the practice, challenges, and opportunities of the urban agriculture in shenen
town and its periphery. The study is based on primary data collected from 105 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 22 version software. Qualitative data were used to substantiate the responses of questionnaire.
According to the major findings of the study, the major types of urban farming practices in the study area
includes; horticulture or production of fruits and vegetables, crop farming or production, livestock
rearing such as beef farming, dairy farming as well as trees and grass planting. The result of the study
also reveals that the major challenges of urban farming practices in the area includes; lack of access to
credit, shortage of inputs, land granting system, lack of technical support from concerned bodies/less
contact with agricultural sectors, lack of enough space/land shortage for cultivation, disease, problem of
market are the major challenges of farming practices in the area. The survey result reveals that there are
various significances of urban farming in the study area. Among these, it play a decisive role in
generating household income, serve as employment opportunities, contribution to food supply, economic
use of land and environmental enhancement, beatification of the town and solid waste management are
the major roles of urban agriculture in the area. Finally, suggestions have been forwarded based on the
findings of the study.
