Walia Special Edition on the Bale Mountains (2011) - Zoologische ...

Results
Socio-demographics
The sample population (the total number of people reported as living within households, summed
over all survey sites) was predominantly Oromo, the politically dominant ethnicity in the country.
It was also young and un-schooled, with over 60% under the age of 18 and less than 50% having
completed, or currently undertaking, any education. Average household size was 7.38 ± 0.25
individuals. Focus groups revealed that rural job opportunities were extremely limited and, when
available, male dominated with meagre wages. Crop and livestock management were the primary
day-to-day activities with few households involved in trading or service provision. With minimal
alternative wage earning opportunities, household labour inputs in crop production, livestock rearing
and forest product harvesting were assumed negligible.
Crop production
Crops were grown by 96% of households with Maize, tef (a robust cereal crop) and fruits dominating
low altitude agriculture and barley and root crops dominating at higher altitudes. Seed inputs were
low, or averted by collection from previous years; purchased seed varied between 0.33 and 25
Ethiopian Birr (ETB) per kilogram (US$1 = ETB9.0745 at time of study). Fertiliser application
was either absent, minimal due to lack of finance, or manure based. The use of livestock manure
was reported in two study kebeles and diammonium phosphate (costing 4 ETB/kg) use for barley
crops reported rarely in a single kebele. Equipment costs were also minimal with livestock used for
ploughing and farm tools made from forest products. High levels of precipitation preclude the need
for irrigation schemes and 93% of households stated rain as the source of crop water. As the level
of inputs to secure production is minimal, the direct consumptive use value deriving from crops is
estimated as the market value of household crop yield. Mean household crop value was found to be
10,507 ± 658 ETB per annum (median = 8,109). The range of crop values were large from 0 to over
44,000 ETB and significant differences were found between study sites (Fig. 2a; F(3,181) = 7.78, p
< 0.001).
Livestock production
Cattle, horses, donkeys, mules, sheep and goats, were kept by 99% of households for destructive
(skins, selling and meat), and non-destructive (transport, ploughing, reproduction, milk) purposes.
Livestock inputs were minimal with medicinal costs constrained to, at most, annual cattle
vaccinations (0.30 ETB per animal) and ill livestock often slaughtered rather than treated. Additional
feed provision was reported in 81% of livestock owning households but was largely a product or
by-product of agriculture. Only oil-seed cake and salt were purchased at low cost (2.20 ETB and 0.8
ETB per kg, respectively). Assessment of the marketed livestock products revealed a mean livestock
value of 2,065 ± 148 ETB (median = 1,668) ranging from 0 to 9,020 ETB (Fig. 2b; F(3,180) = 2.45,
p = 0.0652).
<strong>Walia</strong>-<strong>Special</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> on the Bale Mountains 188