The Effect Of Rural Road Transport On Smallholder Farmers Agricultural Productivity In Mana Woreda, Jimma Zone, Oromia Region

Abstract

Lack of access to rural road is considered as the main cause of decrease in agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers in the study area. The objective of this study was to assess effects of rural road transport on smallholder farmers’ agricultural productivity in the study area. A total of 97 sample households were selected systematic random sampling techniques. To achieve these objectives both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. Primary data were collected through households' survey, key informants interview and focus group discussion (FGD).Secondary data were collected from woreda documents, journals and recognized published and unpublished sources. To achieve the planned objective different statistical techniques were used. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was employed to assess association between distance to all weather roads, distance to farmer training center, distance to farm land, distance to fertilizer distribution center, distance to improved seeds center, distance to agricultural extension offices and agricultural productivity. F-test was used to see significance between agricultural productivity and transportation of production to market and home using human power and pack animals. Stepwise multivariate regression analysis was employed to predict agricultural productivity with different related transport road. The results of this analysis show that distance to transport cost, all weather road, agricultural extension office, farmer training center, fertilizer distribution center and improved seeds center negatively significant to agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers. Average distance to transport agricultural productivity using animal and human power negatively significant at 1% probability level. Tradition means of transportation accounts 91.75%. About 58.8% of smallholder farmers used footpath. The results of this study suggest that the local government and responsible body should facilitate and improve the rural road infrastructure and access to rural road transportation service and facilitate rural households owned local transportation means to create opportunity to encourage the rural households to raise participation in inputs uses and out puts supply their productivity.