Haricot bean seed management in the rift valley of Ethiopia
2003
Adam Bekele | Tilahun Mulat
Haricot beans are one of the major crops grown by smallholder farmers in the central rift valley of Ethiopia. Haricot bean functions as the second most important cash-generating crop to the farmers. Also they are the second crop next to tef that the farmers grow in times of intermittent rainfall. Considering the importance of bean and the unparalleled contribution of improved varieties in the productivity of the crop the present study was conducted with specific objective of analyzing the existing seed systems in the area. Farmers lost their haricot bean varieties due to decline in productivity, low output price and the introduction of new varieties. Most farmers lost their seeds deliberately due to lack of desirable characteristics signifying essential loss whereas few farmers lost their varieties accidentally signifying strained loss. Close investigation into the two situations shows that the spotlight of the farmers was on the improved varieties. The inclination of farmers towards buying and sowing impure seeds, selling out most of the produce immediately after harvest and spontaneous seed sorting, shortage of seed, unattractive marketing system for quality seed and unreliable source and supply of improved seed suggest that the farmers' production and marketing systems are operating abnormally. Therefore provision of improved haricot bean varieties that best fit into the existing circumstances of the farmers and also policies to protect farmers from the evils of unduly falling output prices and to improve the financial position of farmers are necessary.
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