Factors Affecting Level of Potato Commercialization in Kofale District, West Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

The Government of Ethiopia focuses on Agricultural Commercialization to meet the challenge of improving rural incomes by introducing Agricultural commercialization cluster. However, there are no adequate studies on level of commercialization and factors affecting Farmers’ potato commercialization in Kofale District. This study was aimed to identify level and factors affecting farmers’ level of potato commercialization. A two stage random sampling procedure was used to select 150 sample households potato producer. Descriptive statistics and econometric model were used to analyze the data. About 18% of sample farm households were low level of commercialization, about 15% medium and about 67% of them categorized under high level of commercialization. Truncated model was used in the econometric analysis. Education status, land allocated for Potato production and Access to market information influenced level of potato commercialization positively and significantly. The study indicated that the government, stakeholders and concerned bodies need to focus on facilitating farmers to participate education by providing adult education and extension based education, strengthening the existing livestock providing improved health services and better livestock feed (forage), improve productivity of land by providing technology and disseminate market information to producers so as to improve intensity of potato commercialization.