Shortage of pullet supply and high mortality of local chicks arising from diseases and inadequate feed were the main challenges identified through a rapid diagnostic survey on the poultry value chain in Dale. Accordingly, women group-based commercial pullet rearing as an input for smallholder poultry production was initiated by the Office of Agriculture and Rural Development (OoARD) and IPMS. To develop the program, a credit scheme was initiated using IPMS’s credit innovation funds. With assistance of OoARD, eighty women subdivided into five (village) groups, collectively purchased 4000 day-old chicks (50/woman) and other inputs such as feed, vaccines, hay box brooder and watering equipment. The women were trained and developed their skills through their group structures. The required vaccinations were also given by the women themselves under the auspices of the group structures. After 4–5 months, 3470 pullets survived and were kept by the women or sold to others for egg producers. Empirical results show that: i) the group approach helped to improve linkages, communication, and access to knowledge, technology, finance, inputs (day-old chicks and feed), veterinary service, and market; ii) the groups were able to successfully produce and supply pullets thus making an additional income of Ethiopian birr (ETB) 833/hh; iii) the approach stimulates growing demand for the 5 months-old pullets, especially by government/donor financed programs. While being technically and economically viable, the system requires institutional upgrading so as to ensure sustainability of input supply (chicks, feed and vaccine/drugs). The commitment shown by WoARD to provide technical backstopping in all aspects of poultry production also leaves much to be desired. These are crucial at least for the first few cycles, while more emphasis should be given to promoting improved local birds. As the follow-up studies on subsequent egg production showed, considerable attention needs to be paid to building the capacity of poultry farmers to engage in semi-commercial egg production, since egg production was still far below its potential. The study also shows that a difference of as high as 35% existed between egg production level by households who had purchased the pullets privately and households who had received the pullets through food security funded projects in Dale area.

Shortage of pullet supply and high mortality of local chicks arising from diseases andinadequate feed were the main challenges identified through a rapid diagnostic survey on thepoultry value chain in Dale. Accordingly, women group-based commercial pullet rearing asan input for smallholder poultry production was initiated by the Office of Agriculture andRural Development (OoARD) and IPMS. To develop the program, a credit scheme wasinitiated using IPMS’s credit innovation funds. With assistance of OoARD, eighty womensubdivided into five (village) groups, collectively purchased 4000 day-old chicks (50/woman)and other inputs such as feed, vaccines, hay box brooder and watering equipment. Thewomen were trained and developed their skills through their group structures. The requiredvaccinations were also given by the women themselves under the auspices of the groupstructures. After 4–5 months, 3470 pullets survived and were kept by the women or sold toothers for egg producers. Empirical results show that: i) the group approach helped toimprove linkages, communication, and access to knowledge, technology, finance, inputs(day-old chicks and feed), veterinary service, and market; ii) the groups were able tosuccessfully produce and supply pullets thus making an additional income of Ethiopian birr(ETB) 833/hh; iii) the approach stimulates growing demand for the 5 months-old pullets,especially by government/donor financed programs. While being technically andeconomically viable, the system requires institutional upgrading so as to ensure sustainabilityof input supply (chicks, feed and vaccine/drugs). The commitment shown by WoARD toprovide technical backstopping in all aspects of poultry production also leaves much to bedesired. These are crucial at least for the first few cycles, while more emphasis should begiven to promoting improved local birds. As the follow-up studies on subsequent eggproduction showed, considerable attention needs to be paid to building the capacity of poultryfarmers to engage in semi-commercial egg production, since egg production was still farbelow its potential. The study also shows that a difference of as high as 35% existed betweenegg production level by households who had purchased the pullets privately and householdswho had received the pullets through food security funded projects in Dale area. | CIDA

Since the reform and opening-up in 1978, China’s income distribution gap has widened. The Gini coefficient of national residents’ income rose from 0.31 in 1981 to a historic high of 0.49 in 2008 and has continued to hover at a high of 0.46 in the recent years (Molero-Simarro, 2017; Li and Zhu, 2018; Luo et al., 2021). Narrowing the income gap between urban and rural residents is the key to reducing China’s Gini coefficient. The ratio of per capita income between urban and rural residents exhibited an overall growth trend before 2009, despite the increase in disposable income per capita of rural residents from 134 yuan in 1978 to 18,931 yuan in 2021. In 2007, the urban–rural income ratio exceeded 3:1 for the first time and contributed over 50% to the Gini coefficient of the national income distribution (Li and Wan, 2013). Since 2009, the urban–rural income gap has decreased; however, the decline has nearly halted post 2014. In 2021, the urban–rural income ratio was still as high as 2.5:1, almost equal to that in 1978 and larger than that in developed countries, which have a level of approximately 1:1 or lower.

Since the reform and opening-up in 1978, China’s income distribution gap has widened. The Gini coefficient of national residents’ income rose from 0.31 in 1981 to a historic high of 0.49 in 2008 and has continued to hover at a high of 0.46 in the recent years (Molero-Simarro, 2017; Li and Zhu, 2018; Luo et al., 2021). Narrowing the income gap between urban and rural residents is the key to reducing China’s Gini coefficient. The ratio of per capita income between urban and rural residents exhibited an overall growth trend before 2009, despite the increase in disposable income per capita of rural residents from 134 yuan in 1978 to 18,931 yuan in 2021. In 2007, the urban–rural income ratio exceeded 3:1 for the first time and contributed over 50% to the Gini coefficient of the national income distribution (Li and Wan, 2013). Since 2009, the urban–rural income gap has decreased; however, the decline has nearly halted post 2014. In 2021, the urban–rural income ratio was still as high as 2.5:1, almost equal to that in 1978 and larger than that in developed countries, which have a level of approximately 1:1 or lower. | Non-PR | 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; 4 Transforming Agricultural and Rural Economies; DCA; IFPRI4 | DSGD