Assessment of Potato Production by Smallholder Farming HouseHold in Jeldu District, West Shoa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Potato is the most important root crop in Jeldu district, which is used for home consumption and market. However, lower production and productivity, and lower rate of potato production of improved potato varieties were the major problems constraining the potential benefit that can be obtained from the sector in the study area. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to identify factors that affect potato production in the study area in Jeldu district. The study used both primary and secondary data to achieve the objectives. The primary data were obtained from 164 sample households and a two-stage-sampling technique was used. Descriptive statistics and inferential analysis model were employed for analyzing the data. The findings of the study indicated that factor affect potato productions were positively and significantly influenced by institutional factor, technological factor, technical factor and topographical factors. However, distance to thenearest market had negative and significant effect on the potato production. The Truncated regression result revealed that perception toward attributes of improved potato varieties yield, family size, livestock ownership and membership to cooperatives positively and significantly affected the proportion of land allocated for improved potato varieties. Based on the findings, it is recommended that policy makers and technical institutions should target these factors to facilitate potato production that will improve agricultural productivity and hence reduce the food insecurity problem in the study area.