Adoption and Impact of Coffee Production Technologies in the Case of Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Although Jimma Agricultural Research Center has been disseminating and popularizing lots of coffee production technologies to the farmers, the level of adoption and its impact was not well known and till not output delivered in this regard. Having understood this gap, the study has been conducted in order to identify and know the level of adoption as well as prevailing impacts of these technologies in the livelihood of farmers in Western part of Ethiopia  (N=133)  purposively in three Districts based on  its potential of coffee production. Generally, study result shows that adoption level of coffee production technologies in three districts is in good progress. The mean yield components of each coffee variety identified and the source of coffee technologies assessed. Also types of coffee farms were detected such as garden coffee, semi-forest coffee and forest coffee from which farmers who have both garden and semi forest coffee took the largest proportion. Moreover, coffee agronomic management practices have been largely adopted in all districts. Climate change, adversely affecting coffee production and productivity in the study area. Adopting coffee production technologies have made a tremendous contribution in the saving, children access to formal school, and generally livelihood of majority of farmers. Coffee price over the last 10 years has been dynamic. Most of the farmers have been using both family and hired labor for coffee production. Women participation in coffee farming and production was not that much relatively from men and children.  Further extension effort need to be exerted in order to upgrade the adoption level of coffee production technologies. Besides, climate change mitigating strategies, drought and pest resistant coffee varieties have to be released.

Keywords: Adoption, Impact, Coffee, Technology, climate change, Extension