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Impacts of Population Pressure on Agricultural Production and Farming Practices of Households: The Case of Essera Woreda in Dawro Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Received: 8 October 2021    Accepted: 1 November 2021    Published: 19 November 2021
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Abstract

Agricultureasaprimaryeconomicactivityisthemajoreconomicbaseoftheworld’spopulation. Agriculture as a primary economic activity is the major economic base of the world’s population. More than 60 percent of the world population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. This study was conducted in Dawuro Zone Essera district achieve the general objective that assessed the impacts of population growth on agricultural production and farming practices. Essera district is 102,848, of whom 51.35% are male and 48.64% are female. This district falls into three agro-ecological regions, of which, kolla within (500-1500masl), weina-dega within (1501-2500 masl) and Dega above (> 2500 masl). To conduct this study, the cross-sectional survey design with the application of both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed. The study involved a multistage sampling, i.e. a combination of purposive, stratified, and simple random sampling procedures to select the study area and sample households. To draw the samples, the households in the study area, Stratified random sampling technique was applied to collect information from respondents. Study area districts stratified into 3 stratums based on agro ecological zone, after this stratification in agro-ecological zone, kebeles that study has been undergone, selected purposively. That is kola whose elevation ranges from 1000m-1500m above sea level, woynadega whose elevation ranges from 1500m-2000m above sea level, and dega whose elevation ranges from 2000-3000m above sea level. Data that was made available through different instruments was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. Different tables, maps and figures were also used to illustrate the various aspects of the study. In the light of the theories considered and the finding of the study indicated, both the population pessimistic views of Malthusians and neo Malthusians and the optimistic views of Boserupian could not separately provides the complete explanations regarding the population and agricultural production relationship of this study. It was observed that, increase in population growth of the area associated with an increase in usage of modern inputs which increase in total crop outputs in general and yields for some crop types such as cereals in particular. Moreover, labor intensive land investment practices including tree planting; terracing, manuring croplands were increasingly under taking by peasants as result of rapid change in population size of the area. Farmers have to be advised to plant tree at area far away from land serving agricultural activities.

Published in Earth Sciences (Volume 10, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.earth.20211006.16
Page(s) 298-314
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Agriculture, Population, Farming Practices, Essera

References
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[2] Aynalem Adugna (2006). Lesson 4 Ethiopia Population and the Environment. www ethio Demography and Health organization, accessed on 29/03/2009.
[3] Binyam Moreda (2006). Population Pressure, Farm size and Agricultural Performance in Welenkomi Area (MA. Thesis).
[4] Boserup (1965). The Condition of Agricultural Growth. New York Academic press.
[5] CSA (1990). Annual Statistical Report on Population of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa.
[6] CSA (1999). Report on Population Growth of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa.
[7] CSA (2006/07). Agricultural Sample Survey and Report on Land Utilization. Addis Ababa.
[8] CSA (2008). Annual Statistical Report of Farm Management Practices. Addis Ababa.
[9] Dagnachew Kaleab (1999). Population Pressure and Agricultural Development in Ethiopia, the Case of Aressi Region (MA. Thesis).
[10] FAO (2005). Report on Global Forest Resource Assessment by UN Food and Agricultural Organization.
[11] FAO (2008). Natural Resources and the Human Environment for Agriculture. New York: Academic press.
[12] Goran Djurfeldt, H. Holmen (2005). The African Food Crises. University of Lunda, Sweden.
[13] Hailemariam Birke (2009). Challenges of Sustainable Land Management in High Lands of Ethiopia, the Case of the Foot Hills Entoto Mountain (MA. Thesis).
[14] Hiruy Mitiku (2008). Farmer Awareness and Response to the Effects of Population Growth on the Environment, the Case of Tehulederie South Wollo (MA. Thesis).
[15] Http:// country office unfaorg/ Ethiopia /2008/12 /30/261. Populationand Development Ethiopia; Accessed on May 28, 2011.
[16] Kumela Gudata (2007). Land Degradation and Adoption of Soil Water Conservation Technologies in Ethiopia, a Case of South Wollo (MA. Thesis).
[17] Malthus, Thomas Robert (1798). An Essay on the Principle of Population; London.
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[21] Samuel Girma (2007). Organic Farming in the Context of Livelihood Resilience Building a Case for coffee and enset major agro forestry (Ma. Thesis).
[22] Scherer, S J. (1994). Sustainable Agriculture Development Strategies in Fragile Lands. Washington, DC.
[23] Tiffin et al. (1994). More People, Less Erosion. Environmental Recovery in Kenya. John Wiley and Sons, New York.
[24] TWRAO (2007, 2008, 2009). Report On Agriculture and Land Use. Essera.
[25] UNO (1993). Population, Environment and Development Report. Washington, D.C; UN Population reference Bureau.
[26] UNCTAD. 2013. Trade and investment review, http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ditcted2012d3_en.pdf
[27] Vernon, W. Ruttan (1994). Population Growth, Environmental Change and Technical.
[28] Innovation: Implications for Sustainable Growth in Agricultural Production. University of Minnesota.
[29] World Bank (2005). Agricultural and Rural Development. Washington. DC. World Bank (2007). The Population, Agriculture and Environment Annual Report.
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    Bekele Tona Amenu, Getahun Shanko Mamo. (2021). Impacts of Population Pressure on Agricultural Production and Farming Practices of Households: The Case of Essera Woreda in Dawro Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia. Earth Sciences, 10(6), 298-314. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20211006.16

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    ACS Style

    Bekele Tona Amenu; Getahun Shanko Mamo. Impacts of Population Pressure on Agricultural Production and Farming Practices of Households: The Case of Essera Woreda in Dawro Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia. Earth Sci. 2021, 10(6), 298-314. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.20211006.16

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    AMA Style

    Bekele Tona Amenu, Getahun Shanko Mamo. Impacts of Population Pressure on Agricultural Production and Farming Practices of Households: The Case of Essera Woreda in Dawro Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia. Earth Sci. 2021;10(6):298-314. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.20211006.16

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  • @article{10.11648/j.earth.20211006.16,
      author = {Bekele Tona Amenu and Getahun Shanko Mamo},
      title = {Impacts of Population Pressure on Agricultural Production and Farming Practices of Households: The Case of Essera Woreda in Dawro Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia},
      journal = {Earth Sciences},
      volume = {10},
      number = {6},
      pages = {298-314},
      doi = {10.11648/j.earth.20211006.16},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20211006.16},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.earth.20211006.16},
      abstract = {Agricultureasaprimaryeconomicactivityisthemajoreconomicbaseoftheworld’spopulation. Agriculture as a primary economic activity is the major economic base of the world’s population. More than 60 percent of the world population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. This study was conducted in Dawuro Zone Essera district achieve the general objective that assessed the impacts of population growth on agricultural production and farming practices. Essera district is 102,848, of whom 51.35% are male and 48.64% are female. This district falls into three agro-ecological regions, of which, kolla within (500-1500masl), weina-dega within (1501-2500 masl) and Dega above (> 2500 masl). To conduct this study, the cross-sectional survey design with the application of both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed. The study involved a multistage sampling, i.e. a combination of purposive, stratified, and simple random sampling procedures to select the study area and sample households. To draw the samples, the households in the study area, Stratified random sampling technique was applied to collect information from respondents. Study area districts stratified into 3 stratums based on agro ecological zone, after this stratification in agro-ecological zone, kebeles that study has been undergone, selected purposively. That is kola whose elevation ranges from 1000m-1500m above sea level, woynadega whose elevation ranges from 1500m-2000m above sea level, and dega whose elevation ranges from 2000-3000m above sea level. Data that was made available through different instruments was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. Different tables, maps and figures were also used to illustrate the various aspects of the study. In the light of the theories considered and the finding of the study indicated, both the population pessimistic views of Malthusians and neo Malthusians and the optimistic views of Boserupian could not separately provides the complete explanations regarding the population and agricultural production relationship of this study. It was observed that, increase in population growth of the area associated with an increase in usage of modern inputs which increase in total crop outputs in general and yields for some crop types such as cereals in particular. Moreover, labor intensive land investment practices including tree planting; terracing, manuring croplands were increasingly under taking by peasants as result of rapid change in population size of the area. Farmers have to be advised to plant tree at area far away from land serving agricultural activities.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Impacts of Population Pressure on Agricultural Production and Farming Practices of Households: The Case of Essera Woreda in Dawro Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia
    AU  - Bekele Tona Amenu
    AU  - Getahun Shanko Mamo
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.earth.20211006.16
    T2  - Earth Sciences
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    JO  - Earth Sciences
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    EP  - 314
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-5982
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20211006.16
    AB  - Agricultureasaprimaryeconomicactivityisthemajoreconomicbaseoftheworld’spopulation. Agriculture as a primary economic activity is the major economic base of the world’s population. More than 60 percent of the world population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. This study was conducted in Dawuro Zone Essera district achieve the general objective that assessed the impacts of population growth on agricultural production and farming practices. Essera district is 102,848, of whom 51.35% are male and 48.64% are female. This district falls into three agro-ecological regions, of which, kolla within (500-1500masl), weina-dega within (1501-2500 masl) and Dega above (> 2500 masl). To conduct this study, the cross-sectional survey design with the application of both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed. The study involved a multistage sampling, i.e. a combination of purposive, stratified, and simple random sampling procedures to select the study area and sample households. To draw the samples, the households in the study area, Stratified random sampling technique was applied to collect information from respondents. Study area districts stratified into 3 stratums based on agro ecological zone, after this stratification in agro-ecological zone, kebeles that study has been undergone, selected purposively. That is kola whose elevation ranges from 1000m-1500m above sea level, woynadega whose elevation ranges from 1500m-2000m above sea level, and dega whose elevation ranges from 2000-3000m above sea level. Data that was made available through different instruments was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. Different tables, maps and figures were also used to illustrate the various aspects of the study. In the light of the theories considered and the finding of the study indicated, both the population pessimistic views of Malthusians and neo Malthusians and the optimistic views of Boserupian could not separately provides the complete explanations regarding the population and agricultural production relationship of this study. It was observed that, increase in population growth of the area associated with an increase in usage of modern inputs which increase in total crop outputs in general and yields for some crop types such as cereals in particular. Moreover, labor intensive land investment practices including tree planting; terracing, manuring croplands were increasingly under taking by peasants as result of rapid change in population size of the area. Farmers have to be advised to plant tree at area far away from land serving agricultural activities.
    VL  - 10
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Natural Resources Management, Dawro Tarcha Campus, Wolaita Sodo University, Tarcha, Ethiopia

  • Department of Natural Resources Management, Dawro Tarcha Campus, Wolaita Sodo University, Tarcha, Ethiopia

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