Factors Affecting Teff Production by Female Headed Households in Abeshege Woreda of Gurage Zone, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted with the aim of investigating the level of female headed household farmers’ participation in teff production and Soil and Water Conservation practices on teff farm plot and determinates of their participation in teff production of Abeshege woreda, SNNP, Ethiopia. A random sampling method was employed to select 164 participant and 70 non-participant households from purposively selected six Rural Kebeles sample respondents. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources using interview schedule, focus group discussion, semi-structured interview, key informant discussions, and observations. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data were analyzed and interpreted by using descriptive statistics such as mean, range, percentage, standard deviation, t-test, chi-square and frequencies in order to draw conclusions and generalizations. The qualitative data were also analyzed and described by using qualitative methods such as narration, and generalizations. The study also employed the probit econometric model as a component of inferential statistical analysis. The study revealed that, there was a variation in the level of participation of female headed household in teff production in the study area. Further, the results of the study showed that 7.5% of the sampled respondents were under the category of low participation, 14.9% were under medium level of participation category and 62.7% of the respondents were under high participation category. The study showed that female headed household contribute 37.4% of labor for teff production and 41.6% of female headed house hold participants had a very good level of participation on soil and water conservation practices on teff producing farm plots. The estimation of the probit analysis revealed that size of family(X4), land size (X5), Average annual income (X6), and contact with development agents (X8) are significant at 1% probability levels. The implication of finding is that an increase in the level of any of the explanatory variables with positive sign i.e. in the case of marital status (X2), education level (X3), size of house hold members(X4), land size(X5) and contact with development agents(X8) have a positive effect on the participation of female headed household in teff production in the study area. According to this finding concerned body should give attention to those significant variables with care and design a better teff production  strategy  focusing  on effective supervision, and training  to enhance the female headed farmers’ participation in teff production.

Keywords: Women participation, Teff production, Soil and Water conservation, Probit analysis