Abstract:
The onion crop is one of the most important vegetables produced in Ethiopia for both
commercial and consumption purposes. Research on determinants of horticultural crop
production by smallholder farming households in YayaGulale District, Ethiopia, was conducted.
A two-stage sampling procedure was followed to select sample households. In the first stage, a
purposive sampling method was used to select horticultural crops growing in two rural Kebele
administrations (KAs). Four rural kebele were selected based on their vegetable growing
potentials for irrigation and rain-fed vegetable crop production practices, followed by the
selection of sample households. In the second stage, households growing vegetable crops were
identified by the development agents of their respective Kebele administrations using a random
sampling procedure. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were applied to analyze
the collected survey data. Open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires were prepared and
treated by the Ba binary logistic regression model. This model was used to analyze the
determinant factors that affect crop production in the study area. The paper identifies and
examines the determinants of horticultural crop production by smallholder farming households
in the district through a thorough analysis of secondary information and primary data collected
in the district. The statistical package for social science (SPSS) was used to aid the data. The
results of the analysis indicate that the significant determinant factors influencing
horticulture/vegetable crop yield quantity are the age of the household head, family size,
extension contact, the amount of fertilizer used, and proximity to the market center. Women need
to be purposefully included in vegetable production and marketing projects or interventions to
improve women’s income. Multi-sectorial integration of government and non-government
actions and attention are required to address these challenges for smallholder vegetable
producers. Fertilizer as an input supply should be made available to smallholder farmers timely
and encouraged to subsidize smallholder farmers. The use of compost as an alternative means
should be encouraged. Awareness creation on how to properly prepare and use compost needs
to be created among smallholder farmers' households
