TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS
PAGE
AKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABSTRACT
1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………
1.1. Background of the organization…………………………………………………….
1.2. The main task of the organization……………………………………………………
1.3. Objectives of the organization………………………………………………………
1.4. Mission and vision of the organization…………………………………………….
1.5. Practical attachment and its objectives……………………………………………
2. METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………………………
3.
DISCUSSION………………………………………………………………..
3.1. Onion production, marketing and its value chain ……………………………….
3.2. The common practice of onion production……………………………………….
3.3. Methods of onion production…………………………………………………….
3.4. Onion marketing…………………………………………………………………
3.5. Market and marketing problems…………………………………………………
3.6. Value chain map of onion………………………………………………………
3.7. Major problems identified during the field survey………………………………
3.8. SWOT analysis of the organization……………………………………………
4. SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ……………………..
4.1 summary……………………………………………………………………………
4.2. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………
4.3. Recommendations………………………………………………………………..
5. REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and for the most, I would like to thanks the charity, kindness, help and for givens of
almighty God. Secondly, I would like to express my deepest thanks and appreciation to my field
supervisor AtoFentafor his unreserved comments, guidance, correcting detail evaluation and
helping materially even scarifying his time for writing, editing and who play a great role for the
smartness of my paper. Most importantly I would like to express my grateful thanks and heart
felt appreciation to all my family particularly (to my father AtoTigabuKasaw, to my grandmother
W/o ZrituNigus, to my sister MelkamhiwotTigabu, to my auntMeseretNigus and to all the rest of
my families) for their unlimited efforts in providing financial, material and moral support for my
academic success in general and for accomplishment of this paper in particular. I have no words
to express my thanks and respect to them.
Last but not, least my gratitude also goes to all my friends specially (to Ali Ahmed for his
writing and editing of my paper and for giving me his computer and to Aster Amman who make
my life and my existence here in the campus so beautiful.) to all my classmate students
particularly for all my doormats who contribute in the success of my academic and
accomplishment of my paper ideally and materially.
ABSTRACT
This practical attachment analyses the role of kobo girana valley development project in the
alleviation of poverty in north wello, north western Ethiopia. It studies the impact of the project
programs on livelihood, onion production, onion marketing, sales channel of onions, government
intervention on production and marketing of onion and strength, weakness opportunity and
threats of the project towards the production and productivity of vegetable production
particularly in onion production.it specifically focus on onion production and marketing in kobo
valley although the project works at different areas. This work also identifies the major
constraints of onion production and marketing and gives policy intervention and
recommendation towards tackling the identified problems.
1. INTRODUCTION
Ethiopian economy greatly depends on agriculture. More than 85% Ethiopia population
are living on it. Agriculture contributes more than half of a country GDP. Ethiopia being
predominantly rural in character, with agriculture the main economic activity, the
conclusion is inevitable that is the search for significant increased rate of economic and
social development. Special attention should have to be accelerated if employment,
human and social development and rural industrialization are should be expanded and
sustained.
Similar to other regions of the country in amhara regional state, agriculture is the main
stay of the region’s economy. The government of the region has invested substantially to
this sector in order to increase agricultural production. Kobo-Giranavally is one of the
potential areas envisaged for development. The valley is suited in amhara region north
wello administrative zone comprising 5 different weredas with a geographic coordinate
of 11º 30´ -12º N and 39º 22´-39º 48´ and a total area of 2849.5 km2 with 5 different
basin.
This practical attachment work consists of different field and market surveys, focus
groups and individual meetings with farmers and interviews with some officials at zonal
and wereda level. The report also contains the production, transportation, marketing and
different value chain actors with regard to onion production in the project area
1.1.Background of the organization
KGVD program is an area under the north wello administration consisting of kobo,
gubalafto, habru and gidanweredas. It is one of the rural development projects established
by ANRS in 1999 to implement a rural development based on the maintenance and
utilization of the natural resource of the valley. The program office is located in the lower
flat plain of kobo wereda in kobo town about 575 km from addisababa along the dessiemekele highway. The program area is located in the lower flat plain of kobo-girana
valley. The valley extends from 11º 30´ -12º N latitude and39 º 22´-39 º 48´ east
longitudes. The totalarea of the valley is estimated to be 2849.5 km2. The program area is
bounded by tigray region from north, south wello from south and afar region from the
east. The program area is characterized by pronounced variation in scenery. The
landscape can be addressed to have two main features namely, eastern and western terrain
and the low lying flat plain squashed in between the two mountainous terrain.
The kobo-girana valley has diverse agro-ecological zones. The valley is found in the dry
and moist agro-ecological zone. The basic characteristics of this agro- ecological zone are
relatively high population density, intensively cultivated land with a variety of crops.
With better understanding of climatic reliability everybody will be able to do better job of
weather sensitive activities. The need of climatic forecast, specifically for development
activities, such as, agriculture for planning of short, medium and long-term economic
benefits like designing of water supply and irrigation dams require better climatic
information. The spatial distribution of rainfall in the valley varies greatly. The annual
total rainfall range for kobo, weldiya and sirinka lies between 472-913mm, 544-1386mm
and 455-1169mm respectively with mean annual rainfalls of 723mm ,1022mm and 918 in
that order. The total population of the valley is 479,140 where 407,474 are rural and most
making living on subsistence agriculture. Since the population growth rate of the area is
estimated to be 3% annually, the pressure on cultivable lands is rapidly increasing and as
a result cultivation is practiced along steeper slopes of mountains under vagarious
condition. Most of the people living in this valley earn their living from mixed farming.
The farmers are dependent on rain fed agriculture but, recently modern irrigation using
surface and ground water potential has been started.
The soils of kobo girana valley are developed recent alluvial-colluvial sediments derived
from the adjacent mountain ranges. Generally there are two types of soil
; vertiosol ( black heavy clay soils) and fluvisols (medium textured soils with
characterstic stratification). The clay soils usually occur in flat plains, whereas the loamy
soils occur both in flat plains and steep mountain foot slopes. In general, soils of the
entire valley could be regarded as productive with the exception of those of wetlands and
steep foot slopes. North wello in general and the program area in particular is endowed
with abundant water resources, both surface (river) and ground water. It consists of a
large number of perennial rivers used for irrigation and other purposes. The kobo girana
valley is in to two hydrological and five sub-basins based on their distinctive surface
drainage characteristics. The major basins are danakiland awash, while the sub-basins are
kobo, alaweha,sirinka, cheriti, hara and gelana. The kobo and alaweha sub-basins are the
largest by and have high surface and ground water potential.
According to the hydrology study, ground water occurrence in the valley is related to the
existing aquifers formed by basin fill segments and fractured basalts. A considerable
amount of recharge to ground water is obtained both from direct precipitation and as run
off from the potential and intermittent rivers originating in the western Ethiopian plateau.
Other recharge sources include sub-surface flow from highlands and traditional irrigation.
The same source revealed that most productive aquifers occur at relatively shallow depths
between 20-60m in waja-golesha and in the hormat-golina plains in the kobo sub-basins.
The natural resource base such as land, water, forest and trees are the foundation of any
economic development, food security and other basic necessities of the people. The
natural resource base of Kobo-Girana valley is coming under increasing population
pressure and inappropriate farming and management practices. Small-scale farmers, who
depend on these resources, face serious threats from intensive cultivation, overgrazing
and deforestation. Land use in the program area is dominated by long period traditional
rain fed peasant farming system of individual holdings and grazing of livestock on
communal grazing lands and foot slopes, i.e. mixed farming is dominating for a number
of centuries. The valley plain area represents a high agriculturally potential area, with a
high human and livestock population density, annual crop zone with examples of
extensive areas having moisture deficit. Cultivated land is the dynamic land use types
under rapid transformation with increasing human population. Livelihood strategies in
the program area are usually vulnerable to various shocks, low yielding and barley subsist
the ever increasing population. Low income, food insecurity, and incidence of poverty
are peculiar characteristics of the livelihood systems reinforced by excessive
environmental degradation due to over cultivation, population densities, deforestation and
soil erosion.
1.2.The main tasks of the organization
The main tasks of the KGVDP include working to solve the rural development programs
and poverty reduction, implementation of millennium development and transformation
plan, gives extension service to farmers, supply of improved agricultural technologies for
farmers and popularization of these improved technologies for different rural areas. The
organization also distributes fertilizer and pesticides and gives training for the farmers
how to use the distributed fertilizers and pesticides to be more productive. The
organization also receives agricultural inputs and extends to rural farmers within the right
time to increase production and productivity of agricultural products. They fulfill modern
technology and farming system for farmers of rural areas and gives training for rural
farmers to bring behavioral, social and attitudinal changes towards modern farming
system and natural resource management. They also create relationship with different
organization and participate on different organizations and meeting to exchange different
experience.
1.3.Objectives of the organization
KGVD program are focused on key areas that would lead to short-term and long-term
success, thus
 Implement the millennium development and transformation plan
 To provide different products to export market
 To solve the rural development problem and poverty reduction
 To give extension support for farmers
 To select high yielding resistance and tolerant varieties
 To advice and provide appropriate pest and disease management
 Enhance the dissemination and adoption of improved technology.
 To popularize improved agricultural technologies
 To provide national coordination of research and promote partnership and
networking
 To build capacity for agricultural research for development and faster
institutional innovation
 To adapt and develop appropriate agricultural technologies that enhances
productivity and quality of crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry to contribute to
food security and economic development.
1.4.Mission and vision of the organization
Mission
The organization works with a mission of conducting a research that would provide market
competitive agricultural technologies that contribute to increased agricultural productivity and
nutrition quality, sustainable food security, economic development and conservation of the
integrity of natural resource and the environment, and to provide a strong leadership in
coordinating farmers and different stakeholders by taking a leading role in influencing
agricultural policy development. Using resource of the valley by implementing irrigation based
agriculture and rain fed agriculture with the conservation of natural resource and supports the
project farmer in order to meet their food self-sufficiency and eradicate poverty in the area.
Vision
To see improved livelihood of all the project farmers engaged in agriculture, agro-pastoralism
and pastoralism through market competitive agricultural technologies and to see a responsive and
dynamic research effort that provides coordinated, effective and successful research and
development services. To be a good exampler in valley development
1.5.Visible attempts of action being made by the organization
During my summer stay in KGVDP for the practical attachment I observed some attempts made
by the organizations concerned bodies to meet their missions. Some of these activities were; the
organization work focus on research but, they also undertake support process such as provision
of extension support to farmers, they try to introduce new technologies to different rural areas by
cooperating with agricultural offices at woreda and zonal level and provide agricultural inputs
such as improved seed, fertilizers, pesticides.
1.6.Practical attachment and its objective
Practical attachment has been designed to provide the learners with adequate knowledge, skill,
and attitude and to implement the concept of the theoretical class practically. In educational and
training policy of Ethiopia, one of the major components of capacity building program is training
of agricultural professionals that can bring agricultural transformation and development in many
aspects. Practical attachment is basic agricultural guidelines which helps senior graduating
students to see real world visually and touch or practice physically what they learnt in class room
during their stay at higher institutes and universities.
Objectives of the practical attachment
 To familiarized students with the working environment
 To enable students gain field experience
 To learn the way of interacting and asking questions on practical aspects of the overall
agricultural activities.
 To expand students understanding and critical thinking
 Enable us to observe the practical working environment and share the new insight and
knowledge we gain
 To improve students confidence in problem solving
 To gain practical experience
 To create opportunities to meet and work with potential employees
2. METHODOLOGY
2.1. Description of the area
Raya kobo is one of the 126 rural districts in the region and one of the twelve in the zone, north
wello. It has an area of 197,405 hectares comprises of 36 rural Kebeles and 6 towns. A total
population of 567,140 of which 93% households engaging in agriculture are living in the district.
The capital is called kobo and is located in dessie-mekele high way.The practical attachment was
carried out in Kobo irrigation sites for two consecutive months of July and August for onion .
Kobo research station is situated at 12.08º N latitude and 39.28ºE longitudes at an altitude of
1470 masl.
The 15 years mean annual rainfall is about 630 mm and average daily reference
evapotranspiration rate of 5.94 mm.The soil type in the experimental site is silly clay loam which
has average infiltration rate of 8 mm/hr, pH value of 7.8.
2.2. Source and data collection methods
The methodology that I have been using in doing my practical attachment work was aimed at
defining and describing the concept, role and objectives of the practical attachment and my field
of study to the managers of the organization. Getting the will of the organization, I identify
methods to overcome constraints and make the use of the existing potential. I discovered,
appreciated and prioritized the existing potential and constraints of the organization.
Primarily, I focused on the collection of secondary data. I tried to review different literatures and
preparation of different detailed practical survey and plan for what is going to be done was
prepared. Secondly, I concentrated in the way to obtain primary data regarding the situation. To
obtain primary data, interviews with farmers, government officials at wereda and zonal level.
Having done the above, the final result shows that land holding size, input use, average output
yield, and production system etc of the project area together with the identified production
constraint by the household. actually there are some limitations in the accuracy of the data as
respondents are not in the habit of any recording and the data and the data has been collected
from their memory.
3. DISCUSSION
3.1.Onion production, marketing and its value chain in KGVDP
Onion is one of the bulb crops belonging to the family Alliaceae. It is considerably important in
the daily Ethiopian diet. All the plant parts are edible, but the bulbs and the lower stems sections
are the most popular as seasonings or as vegetables in stews. Onion prefers well-drained sandy
loam with a high content of organic matter. The optimum altitude range for Onion production is
between 700 and 2200 m.a.s.l. and the optimum growing temperature lies between 15o C and
23o C. its primary origin lies in central Asia. Best soil for onion production is deep friable and
loam soil with an optimum pH range of 5.8 to 6.5. Onion is vegetable crop grown worldwide.
Onion is considered as one of the most important vegetable crops produced on large scale in
Ethiopia. It also occupies an economically important place among vegetables in the country. The
area under onion is increasing from time to time mainly due to its high profitability per unit area
and ease of production, and the increases in small scale irrigation areas. The crop is produced
both under rain fed in the meher season and under irrigation in the off season. In many areas of
the country, the off season crop (under irrigation) constitutes much of the area under onion
production. Despite areas increase, the productivity of onion is much lower than other African
countries. The low productivity could be attributed to the limited availability of quality seeds and
associated production technologies used, among the others. For the supply of such seeds, the
informal sector is playing significant role in outreaching large number of farmers. Most of the
demand for onion seed is either meets by private sectors or unorganized program and
importedSeeds. The formal sector, Ethiopian Seed Enterprise (ESE) is not generally supplying
onion seed. Limited amount is catered by public sector organizations like Ethiopian Institute of
Agricultural Research (EIAR) as popularization activities. The quality of seed supplied by the
informal sector in most cases is not good enough. Most of the times there have been problems
related to germination capacity of the seeds and true to type ness. The problem is further
exacerbated by the short shelf life of onion seed (one year under favorable condition). Owing to
these, producers are using 6- 8 kg of seeds per hectares opposed to the recommended rates of
3.5-4 kg/ha in order to guaranteegood seedling emergence. This incurs more cost to farmers
besides the everincreasing price of onion seed on the local markets. All these are hampering the
advancement of onion production. Therefore, it becomes necessary to increase the supply of
quality seed through participation of private sectors and farmers in onion seed production.
3.2. The common practices of onion production
In KGVDP district, the cropping season for onions begins in the month of October, after the
offset of the rainy season. Most farmers choose to prepare their seedbeds during the dry season
because most part of their land during the rainy season is over-flooded with rain water. The
farmers prepare the seedbeds with great care. Once the seedbeds have been prepared, the farmers
level the seed bed and distribute the seeds evenly across the surface of the bed. The seed bed is
then watered and covered with grass or leafy branches of tree. The seeds germinate within 6 to 8
days after planted. Management of the seedbed needs careful operation. Approximately a week
after germination, the seedbed must be weeded. This is a time consuming task and requires
patience. The farmers must be careful to water the onion seedlings when necessary. After the
seedbeds have been planted, the farmers prepare the land where the onion seedlings will be
transplanted. The seedlings will be ready to be transplanted is 45 days after germination. First,
the seedlings are pulled from the seedbed and placed in a basket made from local material.
Usually they are covered with something to keep the delicate stems from direct sun rays. The
labor for this task is separated by gender. The men make the holes following the rows for the
plants, and they irrigate the rows before planting. The women and children plant the onions in
the muddy rows, which must be kept wet to reduce high soil temperatures and facilitate the
transplanting process. Transplanting onion seedlings is tedious and backbreaking work
Onion farmers in the study area do not keep the recommended spacing. They do not have any
measurement to keep the spacing between plants and rows. Because of this there is no specific
distance between both rows and plants. The distance between rows and plants is varying. Both
sexes perform this task with amazing proficiency, the men are able to work long hours in making
rows and watering the rows. Men and women are putting the thin stems of the seedlings of onion
into the wet soil. In comparison with other local crops, such as maize, the tillage and planting
requirements for onions are much more labour intensive. After the transplanting has been
completed, the farmers must monitor field conditionscautiously. Timely irrigation of the early
crop is essential. Two weeks after planting, thefarmers begin the first important weeding
operation. The hoe is also used to remove any emerging weeds. Some farmers will apply the first
urea fertilizer during this period. Both male and female laborers do this task. The second
weeding operation is done after 4 to 5 weeks of transplanting. Once this final mechanical
operation has been completed, the farmers’ primary concerns are timely irrigation to maintain
adequate soil moisture and conducting a careful assessment of the onion field to control insect
pests and diseases. As onion bulbs increase in size, the onion leaves begin to collapse. This
occurs 80 to 120 days after planting, depending on the variety. During the harvesting time labor
is divided by gender. Men dig out the onion bulbs with a pick and make piles of the plants. The
women and children cut the foliage from the onion and package the bulbs in large sacks. This
operation is one of the very labor-intensive activities of onion production.
3.3. Methods of onion production
There are two methods of onion seed production. Seed to seed and bulb toseed method; both can
be used in seed production. But the bulb to seed is the most commonly used method in Ethiopia.
This method has a number of merits; options of selection of bulbs of good size, uniform, typical
color, free from diseases and physical damages. It produces several stalks per bulbs hence gives
higher seed yield. This is in conformity withexperiences where seed yields up to 20 qt/ha was
obtained on farmer’s field for the variety Bombay red. The method is also good to maintain the
variety identity. However, in this method it takes 10-11 1/2months to produce seed (4 - 4 1/2
months for bulb production and 6-7 months for seed set and maturity). The seed to seed method
lacks the above mentioned merits. It also produces less flower stalk per bulb. But it takes 7-8
months to produce seed.
3.5. Production interventions
To increase production and productivity of irrigated vegetables, attention was paid to:
 Irrigated vegetable area expansion
 agro economic improvements
 To improve productivity, the project • partners introduced improved varieties, better
agronomic practices (double row, staggered planting) and improved water utilization e.g.
(from flood to furrow).
Existing irrigation/water resources can be divided into resources that can be exploited through
gravity force and various water lifting devices. Interventions for both types of irrigation/water
resources were aimed at expanding the areas of irrigated crops as well as improving productivity
or yield.
3.5. Onion marketing
After onion has been harvested and bagged, farmers are primarily concerned with getting their
crop to market and the day-to-day fluctuations that occur in the market price. The primary
constraints to profitability for onion farmers in the district are poor post-harvest and marketing
techniques. Almost all farmers in the district did not apply post-harvest techniques to improve
the marketability of their crop. Farmers do not cure/treat onions to increase the shelf life. These
Untreated onion bulbs have fresh, open wounds at the neck where the green foliage was cut from
the bulb. Such wounds, combined with poor handling techniques cause the onions to decay
quickly once they have been bagged for transport. Some onions will sprout green foliage after
only several days. Others will become infected by various decay-causing organisms, which
quickly rot the inside of the onion and make it unfit for sale. Farmers have a short period of time
to get their crop to market. They are, therefore, more susceptible to fluctuations in the market
price, as they do not have the comfort of waiting time until the price has reached a satisfactory
level. Onion will pass through different hands many times from the moment it leaves the farm
until it arrives to the consumers. In the study area, there are three primary ways in which an
onion crop is transported to the town. The first and most frequent one is a bagged onion is loaded
on camel back; the second one is women loaded on their back and men loaded on their Shoulder.
The third one is a lorry known as Isuzu can load some products directly from the individual
farms. Often times the Isuzu loading is in contact with the middle men through telephone. The
middlemen visit different farms and try to buy recently harvested onions. Since the farmers have
a limited time to store the onion bulbs they are subjected to sell their products with minimum
price for the middlemen. Sometimes a group farmer rent a lorry and transports their onion bulb
to the nearest town market to avoid the market sabotage of middlemen. Onion farmers in the
study area have different market outlets from kobo town: those are weldia, alamata, dessie and
mekele markets. The major problems of onion marketing are unsatisfactory pricing where the
wholesalers were mostly benefited and controlled the market, lack of functional organization
among producers, the existing six irrigation cooperatives establishing with the aim of
administering vegetable marketing do not have skill how vegetable marketing handled and how
to increase their bargaining power; inadequate market information for producers was also
another marketproblem mentioned in the study area. Every market information especially output
price information first reaches to middle men. Because of this the poor farmers were always
remaining the hands of these middlemen in selling their products.
Marketing interventions
The project introduced marketing interventions, including:
 Measures to increase market transparency
 Strengthening local level collective market action
 Introduction of post-harvest storage/• processing technologies
To explore market potentials, the project conducted value chain assessments with staff of the
KGVDP, students and regional research institutes. The results of the studies were used to
develop market interventions. Several studies indicate that farmers usually have very few buyers
for their produce and therefore are mostly price takers. The project organized platform meetings
with traders and producers, in which farmers were able to see and make contacts with more
potential buyers. To increase market transparency the project also assisted by providing market
information (through billboards or radio). It also linked producers to new/additional markets in
particular for gubalafto and Alamata producers. Farmers in kobo use mobile phones for better
price discovery.To further strengthen the bargaining power of farmers, project partners assisted
in collective marketing action by aggregating produce in a central place. In kobo this was
organized by the cooperative. Attempts to involve the kobo cooperative in the actual purchase
and sale of vegetables were not successful. However, traders gradually offered a higher price to
compete with better prices offered by the local onion producers cooperative.
Sales Channels for Onions
Many farmers sell onions straight from the field, preferably to the rural collectors (who purchase
the product for loading from farm to storage house) and/or representatives of storage companies
who save the onions for winter. These two categories of buyers pay a price above average
wholesale market price, but their requirements are also higher. They pay premium over the
wholesale price if a large lot can be offered by one or several farmers.They also tend to come to
the fields themselves and not use the services of middlemen.The farmers prefer to sell the onions
in large lots as this maximizes their earningsand saves the time they would spend in the market if
retailing their product. Many farmers also try to hold the onions for later sales dictated by cash
flow needs.
3.6. Market and market problems
The study shows the need for interventions to improve the seasonal mismatch in demand and
supply and facilitate linkages between producers and potential buyers in the nearby towns.
Despite high demand for vegetables in major towns within a 50 km radius accessible on allweather roads, the majority of small farmers sell their product on-farm largely through brokers
who are not accountable for their practices. Only 14% of producers move their products to
potential buyers in market in the district town. The number and type of market problems faced
by farmers indicate the weak support to marketing compared to support they get for production.
Moreover, skills in adding value through sorting, grading, packing, transporting and improved
storage were little developed. Prices farmers received during the production year fluctuated
widely both across seasons and sellers farmers. Onion price doubles or declines by half between
high and low supply seasons. More strikingly, onion prices decline by four times during peak
production. Price differences across seasons are explained mainly by demand and supply.
Price differences are also observed within same season. Difference in access to market
information or capacity to use it and farmers’ technical skill to extend storage that can prolong
the time of sale, and add value through grading and standardization, explain part of the
difference in prices farmers received within the same season.
3.7. Observable (Measurable) achievements
 The combined interventions by project partners had a major impact on the expansion of
irrigated vegetables in the districts. Such expansion can be seen at the individual
household as well as district levels. The two most significant input supply interventions
which contributed to the expansion of irrigated vegetable production are the supply of
irrigation equipment and the production of improved onion seeds. The project’s own
intervention in the supply of irrigation equipment was limited, since major efforts were
onion seed production. Since bulb for seed production was not available year round in
kobo, seed producers organized themselves to purchase bulbs from elsewhere in Ethiopia.
Once the seed was produced, the project and partners facilitated linkages with buyers in
and outside the districts. The regional authorities facilitated this process through testing
and certifying the seeds.
 The project linked producers with private and/or cooperative suppliers already made by
the government or donor-funded programs. The project is still collecting data on the
viability of providing repair and maintenance services to pump owners. The project’s
attempts to introduce private pump operators to supply water at a commercial rate to
neighboring farmers or group members kobo district did not succeed because most
operators made enough money from irrigating their own plots to buy their own pumps.
The most important input/service supply intervention for the development of the
vegetable value chain by the project was the development of local onion seed production
system, which showed a significant but fluctuating supply
 Increasing participation of women in the vegetable value chain was encouraged through
targeting women for knowledge and skills development in kobo District. A women’s
field day was held to scale out this women focused approach/intervention. In kobo,
alaweha and waja, some women started raising vegetable/pepper seedlings in small
nurseries near their homes, to sell to their neighbors. Attempts to involve women in small
scale grading and marketing of onion in kobo were not successful due to lack of
sufficient demand.
 Both government and the private sector have been involved in the supply of irrigation
equipment. The government’s involvement is greatest in the supply of low cost water
lifting devices such as treadle pumps. Government, donors, and the private sector are also
involved in the supply of mortised pumps. The project facilitated the latter for kobo
girana valley farmers by providing credit and linkages with private suppliers
3.8. Value chain of onion
Input supply
Production
Transportation
Processing
Packaging
Wholesale
,retail
Cooperatives
Developmt
institution
Smallholde
r producer
Hotels
Small scale traders
producer
Agro dealers
Commercial
producers
Restaurants
Medium scale traders
Markets , supermarkets
110
Large scale producers
Support services
Financial business
development
Market information
extension
3.9. Major problems identified during the field survey
Onion production suffered from various constraints like low and erratic rainfall, low utilization
of agricultural inputs, poor cultural practice, low access to improve and high yielding onion
varieties, planting material, inadequate agronomic practice and poor water management. Lack of
access to adequate and affordable rural credit including loans for inputs, investment in modern
irrigation and improvements, tools and agricultural equipment are also production constraints.
Rural credit is inadequate and when available they are not affordable by the majority of the farm
households. Inadequate marketing infrastructure and communication services also inhibited crop
production. Seasonal fluctuation of crop prices, increasing prices of basic farm inputs, lack of
transport and road network, underdeveloped infrastructure, lack of access to market
information,etc are the major problems limiting onion production. The rate of fertilizer use is
very low 0.3 qt/hectare, very much lower than MoA recommended average rate about 150
Kg/hectar. Shortage of farm tools, oxen, and others are common problems for the poor farm
households. There is no serious problem of oxen for cultivation. However, the oxen distribution
among household is uneven and problem to the project farmer to accomplish farming activities
on time. Generally the constraints in the project area are
 Insufficient and uneven distribution of rainfall
 Low input supply
 Inadequate and inappropriate extension service
 Insufficient plant protection
 Sever soil erosion particularly in mountainous and foot slopes
 Shortage and improper supply of irrigation water
 Absence of research and demonstration work particularly in irrigation sector
Potentials for onion production
The lowland of kobo valley is relatively endowed with fertile alluvial soils. With improvements
in traditional agronomic practices, expansion of modern small scale irrigation, the area can be a
surplus producer and food self-sufficient within few years. Expansion of vegetable production is
important potential investment opportunities for the private operators particularly in processing
and packaging, distribution, warehousing, and transportation of these perishable commodities.
Small scale pressurized irrigation is the most crucial potential area for boosting up agricultural
production and improving the rural livelihoods in the project area. The flat topography of the
majority of the project area, the availability of surplus ground water resource, rich experiences in
intensive traditional irrigated agriculture and recurrent drought and fluctuation of rainfall on the
other makes small scale modern irrigation the most important and hopeful agricultural
technology in the kobo valley.
3.10. SWOT analysis of the organization
Strength
 The organization made significant efforts to develop its human resource and have
registered significant achievements through formal and informal training programs.
 Projects will emerge from strategies of the organization and emerging issues.
 Importation of new technologies receives the highest priority in the research system.
 Availing appropriate technologies for model farmers.
 Any project is geared towards the objectives of the organization.
 Accountability and empowerment are signs of responsibility.
 Projects are approved based on the gaps of the process.
 Provision of skilled man power.
 Gives support to different farmers.
 Significant participation of women.
Weakness
 Shortage of tangible information at time of need.
 Lack of skilled ICT worker
 Employers are not punctual day to day.
 Some workers spend most of their time on Facebook or game
 Sometimes the workers face load on their work and they become confused regarding the
work they did before and they will do.
 Low payment to day workers
 Lack of adequate training to the employees
 Lack of fair allocation of resources for all departments.
 Improper use of resource
 Lack of access to materials like printer ,network ( internet )
Opportunity
 It has great opportunity to escape towards better investment.
 It has a chance to amalgamate with education sector.
 Mass media create awareness about modern agricultural technologies.
 Promotion of other cooperatives that gives different services to the farmers.
 The existence of high learning institutes and collages that trains agriculture to supply
trained manpower hired in the organization.
 Availability of daily laborers in low price.
Threats
 High rate of population growth has a great effect on food security.
 Most of the farmers are illiterate which cause low productivity.
 Inflation and deflation of market price.
 Lack of infrastructures such as road, clean water, electricity.
 Spread of HIV/AIDS will decrease productive manpower.
 Poverty
4. SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECCOMENDATION
4.1.Summary
The project area kobo grana valley, is one of the potential onion producing districts found in
North eastern part of the Amhara regional national state. Kobo-Girana valley is on of the
potential areas envisaged for development. The valley is suited in amhara region north wello
administrative zone comprising 5 different weredas with a geographic coordinate of 11 30 -12 N
and 39 22-39 48 and a total area of 2849.5 km2. The main tasks of the KGVDP include working
to solve the rural development programs and poverty reduction, implementation of millennium
development and transformation plan, gives extension service to farmers, supply of improved
agricultural technologies for farmers and popularization of these improved technologies for
different rural areas Onion is one of the bulb crops belonging to the family Alliaceae. It is
considerably important in the daily Ethiopian diet. Onion is considered as one of the most
important vegetable crops produced on large scale in Ethiopia. It also occupies an economically
important place among vegetables in the country. The area under onion is increasing from time
to time mainly due to its high profitability per unit area and ease of production, and the increases
in small scale irrigation areas. In KGVDP district, the cropping season for onions begins in the
month of October, after the offset of the rainy season. Most farmers choose to prepare their
seedbeds during the dry season because most part of their land during the rainy season is overflooded with rain water. There are two methods of onion seed production. Seed to seed and bulb
toseed method; both can be used in seed production. But the bulb to seed is the most commonly
used method in Ethiopia. To increase production and productivity of irrigated vegetables,
attention was paid to:
 Irrigated vegetable area expansion
 agro economic improvements
 To improve productivity, the project • partners introduced improved varieties,
better agronomic practices (double row, staggered planting) and improved water
utilization e.g. (from flood to furrow).
The project introduced marketing interventions, including:
 Measures to increase market transparency
 Strengthening local level collective market action
 Introduction of post-harvest storage/• processing technologies
4.2.Conclusion
 Onion production in kobo-Girana valley has increased significantly for the past 5 years.
It has momentous contribution in annual households' income. Farmers grow onion crop
for the purpose of selling to get cash. However, onion production is seriously affected by
price fluctuation every year.
 the main differences in adoption level of onion growers was also related to access to
credit, frequency of visiting nearby town and perception towards the new practices of
improved onion production package. Because of this those households who did not
access to credit, who have no chance to visit other society and who have negative
perception on the practices of onion production package did not adopt or adopt some part
of the package practices.
 Onion production suffered from various constraints like low and erratic rainfall, low
utilization of agricultural inputs, poor cultural practice, low access to improve and high
yielding onion varieties, planting material, inadequate agronomic practice and poor water
management. Lack of access to adequate and affordable rural credit including loans for
inputs, investment in modern irrigation and improvements, tools and agricultural
equipment are also production constraints.
 In general, this study found that vegetable production has contributed to significant
amount of income to sample households and brought change in their life. Farmers
participated in group discussion articulated that they were benefiting from adoption of
improved onion production and improving their way of life. The single most important
improvement mentioned was the ability to send children to school, followed by
improvements in housing condition.
 To explore market potentials, the project conducted value chain assessments with staff of
the KGVDP, students and regional research institutes. The results of the studies were
used to develop market interventions.
 Many farmers sell onions straight from the field, preferably to the rural collectors (who
purchase the product for loading from farm to storage house) and/or representatives of
storage companies who save the onions for winter.
 The project linked producers with private and/or cooperative suppliers already made by
the government or donor-funded programs.
4.3.Recommendation
 Provision of credit for all and arranging field day visit and tour program with certain
period of time inproduction season will be very much important to farmers to adopt new
technology.
 Strengthening and expansion of cooperatives is one means to enhance onion production
in the area. Government should do a better job of it.
 The local government extension and research system has to give a due attention to local
seedgrowers in providing technical back up and in certifying the seed they produce to
keep thequality of seed.
 Much emphasis has to be givento improvement of marketing system particularly through
cooperative unions. Thesecooperative unions should have to create reliable market price
by communicate with othercooperatives found outside their localities.
 Producers and extension agents need adequate skills in production management practices
starting from seed selection to post harvest technology suitable at their level. Marketing
principles, bargaining skills, business planning, quality management and post-harvest
handling of horticultural products are some of the interventions needed in study area.
 Low and fluctuating prices of vegetables can be addressed through greater market
transparency (information, collective action, linkages) production planning, post
harvesting handling.
 Public sector investment in irrigation infrastructure and natural resource development is
an essential component for expansion of irrigated onion production.Private investment in
pumps is an economically viable intervention to stimulate expansion of irrigated onion
production.
 Certification of seeds is required to expand market opportunities beyond the production
areas.Private sector small scale entrepreneurs can provide the necessary inputs for
vegetable production.
REFERENCESS
1. FAO-crop diversification and marketing project, A Manual for Extension Agents and
Seed Producers January 2010.
2. KGVDP 2012, the project fortune
3. SamuaelGebreselassie, Helping small farmers tocommercialize: Evidencefrom
growing onion andtomatoes for sale in centralEthiopia
4. AbrhamMelesseEndalamaw, August 2009, Optimum utilization of ground water in
kobo valley eastern amhara, Ethiopia