Farmers Witnessing Surge in Production through Cluster Farming Practice

Addis Ababa, June 9/2024(ENA)-  Farmers in Kellem Wollega Zone of Oromia region said cluster farming has been significantly boosting their harvest that has resulted in improving livelihood and ensuring food security.

In recent years, Ethiopia has introduced cluster farming development programs that involve organizing and grouping together farmers within a specific geographic area based on proximity of their farm plots to create synergies and economies of scale.

And this agricultural practice has helped small-scale farmers to increase the productivity of wheat, barley and other types of food crops on the top of boosting food security, it was learned.

Approached by ENA reporter Farmers from Oromia region in particular, said that they have been witnessing a surge of agricultural productivity as they have embarked on a cluster-driven cultivation.   

Yirdew Melese is one of the farmers from Sadi Chenka district of Kellem Wollega Zone, Oromia region who is maximizing benefits from maize cluster farming.

Yirdew has engaged in this productive agricultural practice over the past seven years.  Since then, “I have been benefiting from cluster farming and it is essentially resulting in livelihood improvement.” 

Before he began to cultivate maize through a cluster farming approach,  the farmer had only harvested 20 quintals per hectare. But Yiradw has been now harvesting   50 to 70 quintals of maize  per hectare.

Another farmer, Desta Chokol has become productive, describing that farming with other farmers in clusters is very important to boost benefit. 

"We have benefited from cluster farming. And this cluster farming has allowed us to  simply get the necessary agricultural inputs," he added. 

A delegation led by Oromia region’s Head of Agriculture Bureau, Getu Gemechu conducted a  visit today to the maize cluster, coffee seedlings and pigs production in Kellem Wollega Zone of the region.

Following the visit, Kellem Wollega Zone Agricultural Office Head Muleta Wakjira indicated that this Zone is aggressively working on  in cluster farming to cultivate various crops including coffee, maize, among others to enhance productively and transform the agricultural sector.

Moreover, he mentioned efforts to expand cluster farming in the zone, particularly in coffee and maize.

More than 367,000 hectares of land being cultivated by various crops during this ongoing crops season in the zone, he elaborated. 

So far, 353,000 hectares of land have been cultivated and 11.8 million quintals of production is expected to be harvested, it was indicated.