Mixed Farming System for Crop Yield Improvement and Adaptation to Climate Change: Evidence from Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia

Authors

  • Mekonnen B. Wakeyo Policy Studies Institute/PSI Author
  • Hailu Elias Department of Economics, College of Business and Economics, Addis Ababa University Author

Keywords:

Mixed Farming, Yield, Climate change, GMM, Ethiopia

Abstract

Adverse weather appears to compel smallholders in Ethiopia to shift increasingly towards a mixed-farming system. Nearly 90% of the smallholders practiced the shift. However, unless carefully dealt with, the shift could lower crop yield because of the potential disincentive from livestock income. Thus, there is an interesting reason to investigate whether yield declines with livestock size and the increasing adoption of mixed farming. To investigate, we used ‘Resilience to Climate Change’ data collected in 2021 from 2000 households. Descriptive analysis and econometric models, specifically the Generalized Method of Moments and logit, are employed for the estimations. The findings pointed out: (1) households beyond livestock quartile II, who own 60% of the cropland, produce lower average yields. (2) Major yield factors do not hugely vary between GMM estimations. Mainly high-value crops, the number of equines owned, and renting land out, increased yields, whereas age, dummies of drought frequencies, inter-cropping, and drought-resistant crops decreased yields. The mixed-farming dummy resulted in higher yields only for the bottom livestock groups. (3) The transformative investment in thresher increased yields. (4) Agricultural Growth Program increased yield in the land-abundant quartile IV. (5) The estimated logit model shows that higher age, family and landholding sizes, social capital, cooler agro-ecologies, more hot days, the use of modern feed, and fewer drought shocks affected the adoption of mixed farming. The findings offered several policy options. Among others, designing extension services to improve yields in households owning larger livestock sizes requires attention. Moreover, the frequent drought years urge adaptation measures to climate change. 

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Published

27-08-2024

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Articles

How to Cite

Mixed Farming System for Crop Yield Improvement and Adaptation to Climate Change: Evidence from Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia. (2024). Ethiopian Journal of Economics, 32(2), 37-73. https://ethiopianjournalofeconomics.org/index.php/EJE/article/view/255

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