ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS OF SOIL AND WATER  CONSERVATION PRACTICES ON FARMERS’ LIVELIHOOD IN  ZEIY WATERSHED, MAJANG ZONE, GAMBELLA REGION,  ETHIOPIA.
Creators: name: GATBEL CHOT CHANY
Publisher: name: National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia
Year: 2018

description: With the intention to assess the impacts of soil and water conservation (SWC) practices 
on  crop  production,  household  income  and  agricultural  inputs  uses,  this  study  entitled 
assessment  of  impacts  of  soil  and  water  conservation  practices  on  farmers  has  been 
conducted  in  Zeiy  watershed,  Gambella,  Ethiopia.  Multistage,  simple  random  and 
snowball sampling techniques were used to select appropriate sample size.  A  total of 132 
household  respondents  were  determined  from  a  total  of  2,943  households  in  three 
sampled kebeles. Household-based interview, key informants interview (KII) and transect 
walk  were  used  in  order  to  collect  necessary  data.  Collected  data  were  analyzed  in
statistical  package  for  social  science  (SPSS).  Analysis  results  indicated  that  practiced 
households have harvested an average of 44.74  quintal  of crop  production per  hectare 
per  year  while  non-practiced  households  reaped  a  mean  of  23.29  quintal  of  crop 
production per hectare per year with mean difference equivalent to 21.5 kilogram of crop 
production  per  household.  While  practiced  households  earned  an  average  of  3282.58 
Ethiopian  birr  per  household  per  year,  non-practiced  households  earned  a  mean  of 
2661.97 Ethiopian birr per household per year with mean difference equivalent to 620.6 
Ethiopian  birr  of  household  income.  In  terms  of  labour  demand,  practiced  households 
demand an average of 4 persons per household for agricultural activities whereas nonpracticed  households  require  an  average  of  2  persons  per  household.  Even  though 
practiced households demanded an average of 2 additional persons per household to be 
hired,  non-practiced  household  required  approximately  a  mean  of  zero  extra  human 
power.  But  this  is  only  true  for  families  with  medium  and  high  family  size.  While 
practiced  households  use  a  mean  of  30.89  kilogram  of  Di-amonnium  phosphate  (DAP) 
fertilizer in crop fields, non-practiced households use an average of 62.92 kilogram of the 
same  type  of  fertilizer  in  their  crop  fields  with  mean  difference  equivalent  to  32.03 
kilogram of DAP per household. Practiced households use a mean of 22.27 kilogram of 
Urea fertilizer per household in their crop fields whereas non-practiced households use 
an average of 53.56 kilogram of Urea fertilizer per household in their crop fields with 
mean difference equivalent to 31.28 kilogram of Urea fertilizer per household.  With these 
findings,  it  is  rationale  to  conclude  that  SWC  measures  have  positive  impact  on  crop 
production. It has slight  contribution to household income.  Labour  demand  (household 
and hired)  increase, level of inorganic fertilizer use  decrease but  use of organic fertilizer
increase. Thus it is worth to recommend that non-practiced households need to be aware 
about the advantages of conservation measures but with due consideration to challenges 
hindering adoption.  SWC measures need to be integrated with other income generating 
activities. There is need to assist socially and economically disadvantaged sections of the 
community that have desire for conservation but incapable to make it reality.