Assessment on Potato Production Practice, Opportunities, and Constraints, in Semi-arid areas of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract:

Potato is widely grown in mid and highland areas of Tigray. However, productivity is below the national average due to many factors.  To address this issue, a survey was conducted in Tigray's major potato production districts to assess potato production practice and identify key constraints, and opportunities related to potato production. A purposive sampling technique used to select Zone, Wereda, and Kebeles. Accordingly, three zones, eight weredas, and 386 farmers were selected. Structured questionnaires were employed to gather data on potato production practices, constraints, and opportunities. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and index ranking. The result of the survey indicated that 83.4% of the farmers interviewed produce potatoes under irrigation and rainfed conditions. Potato produced as a primary crop by 98.7% of farmers for sale purposes. Potato planting occurs between December 15 and January 15, as well as May 15 and June 30, depending on the irrigation and rainfall conditions respectively. Among the farmers interviewed, 98.9% use inorganic fertilizers, while 82.2% use organic fertilizers for potato production. 72.3% of the farmers interviewed used the Shashemene cultivar as planting material and obtained it from the local market, while 36.01% of use improved Gudanie variety. The study showed that under irrigation and rainfed conditions, farmers achieved an average potato tuber yield of 13.9 t/ha and 13.4 t/ha, respectively, with variability among individual farmers. The key opportunities in the study areas, as ranked by the index, include favorable agroecology, good soil type, access to irrigation water source and available labor. On the other hand, the most significant constraints in potato production are diseases and pests, drought, lack of improved varieties, and market demand. Therefore, it is recommended that research centers and higher educational institutions should focus on development of improved varieties.