The Effect of the war on smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract The war in Tigray (Northern Ethiopia) that started at the beginning of November 2020 has brought devastating damage to smallholder agriculture and food security. However, empirical evidence on the effect of war on smallholder agriculture has not studied systematically. Thus, this research was initiated to address the knowledge gap. A survey was done on selected 4376 households using systematic random sampling. All the data required for the study was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions and key informant interview. The study revealed that 81% of the smallholder households lost their crop followed by livestock (75%) and farm tools (48%). Overall, 94% of the households reported that at least one of their agricultural components (crop, livestock and farm tools) was looted and/or destroyed by the belligerents. Of which, 37% of the respondent’s crop, livestock and farm tools were totally damaged. Moreover, farmers have limited access to their farms, agricultural inputs, and services. Consequently, more than 5.2 million people are currently in need of immediate humanitarian assistance. To avert the worsening situation, immediate intervention is needed to deliver food and agricultural input supplies and rehabilitate the agricultural extension system and infrastructure.