Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(4): 977-989, 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v8i4.977-989.3254
Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology
Available online, ISSN: 2148-127X
| www.agrifoodscience.com |
Turkish Science and Technology
Grain Legumes Production in Ethiopia: A Review of Adoption, Opportunities,
Constraints and Emphases for Future Interventions
Erana Kebede1,a,*
1
*
School of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University, Ethiopia
Corresponding author
ARTICLE INFO
Review Article
Received : 12/12/2019
Accepted : 04/02/2020
Keywords:
Adoption
Agricultural technology
Food security
Grain legumes
Productivity
a
eranak.neda@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Accelerating agricultural growth remains one of the most urgent goal of Ethiopia as the agricultural
sector is the backbone of the Ethiopian economy. The adoption of new agricultural technologies and
improved practices are particularly important in increasing agricultural production. This comprises
strengthening legumes adoption and production as it contributes to better food security and more
sustainable farming systems. Grain legumes are necessary elements of crop production in Ethiopia.
The adoption and use of legume crops have been advocated for enhanced nutrition and preserving
soil resources. Different improved varieties and legume production technologies have been made
available to farmers through various sectors and projects in the country. Various policy measures and
initiatives have also been made in improving the adoption, technology generation and contribution
of legumes to the various system. Despite their contribution and considerable initiatives, over-all
level of adoption and use of legume production is still low. A wide array of technical, economic,
social, and institutional factors has been found to encounter the adoption, use and production of
legumes along with their value-chain. However, there are still various opportunities that different
grain legumes are to be adopted and promoted to increase production and productivity. Essential
interventions, innovative approaches, increased production packages and improved technologies and
market access should be emphasized and integrated to strengthen grain legumes adoption and
production.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3584-6757
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Introduction
Ethiopian economy is fundamentally agrarian where
the performance of the agriculture sector dictates the entire
economic performance of the country. Despite the
reportedly growing importance of the manufacturing and
the industry sectors, agriculture accounts for nearly 46% of
the gross-domestic product (GDP), 73% of labor
employment and 80% of foreign export earnings (Yirga,
2010; Degaga and Angasu, 2017). Ethiopian export
commodities are almost entirely dominated by agricultural
commodities that account for, on average, 75% of the total
export earnings of the country. Among the agricultural
commodity, coffee is the largest foreign exchange earner
and legumes are estimated to be the third most important
export crop in Ethiopia next to sesame (Kebede, 2020).
The population of Ethiopia undergo the rapid growth
and expected to double by the year 2050 compared with
2010 while the GDP is expected to show a considerable
increase from below USD 700 to above USD 5500 within
the range of 2015 to 2050 year (UNPF, 2017; van Loon et
al, 2018). Along these lines, raising production levels and
decreasing their inconstancy are fundamental parts of
enhancing nutrition security in Ethiopia, both to help
guarantee sufficient food accessibility and to increase
family unit wages (IFPRI, 2011).
Feeding these rapidly growing populations by means of
extensive farming is becoming unattainable due to the high
demand for food and limited opportunities for area
expansion (Agazhi, 2016). Hence, agricultural research
and technological improvements are crucial to increase
agricultural productivity to meet the demand for food and
thereby reduce poverty (Asfaw et al., 2011). These
technologies include new agricultural practices such as
integration of legume crops in the farming systems,
adoption of high-yielding varieties and associated products
such as crop insurance that have the potential to contribute
to economic growth and poverty reduction (Habtewold,
2018). A large-scale adoption and dissemination of these
new technologies are very essential to raise agricultural
production and productivity, raise income, reduce poverty
and to enhance the food security and children’s nutrition,
on a sustainable basis (Tsegaye and Bekele, 2012; Degye
et al., 2013).
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Kebede / Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(4): 977-989, 2020
Among the crops produced in Ethiopia, grain legumes
contribute a major way towards poverty reduction,
improving food security, improving nutrition and health
and sustaining the natural resource base. Despite their
contribution in different aspects, the adoption and use of
legume technologies have still remained negligible and
limited (Ferede et al., 2014) due to a wide array of
technical, economic, social, and institutional factors. Lack
of technological improvement and market imperfections
have also often locked small producers into subsistence
production and contributed to the stagnation of the sector
(Shiferaw and Teklewold, 2007; Asfaw et al., 2010: 2011).
These anomalies cause the need to better understand the
adoption and use of improved legume technologies and the
factors responsible for the low uptake.
In Ethiopia, accelerating agricultural growth remains
one of the most urgent goals which mainly comprises
strengthening legumes production and contributing to
better food and nutrition security and more sustainable and
profitable farming systems. Different improved varieties
and legume technologies have been made available to
smallholder farmers through the national agricultural
extension system and various technology scaling projects
(Kassa and Alemu, 2017). Studies on the adoption of
agricultural technologies have attracted attention largely
because agriculture is the main source of livelihoods for
developing countries (Getachew, 2016). Consequently, a
number of technology adoption studies were conducted to
measure success towards reaching the national goals of
reducing poverty, increasing food security and nutrition
and improving foreign currency earnings (Abebe and
Bekele, 2015; Yirga et al., 2015; 2016; Bishaw and Alemu,
2017; Alemu et al., 2018).
Although adoption of new technology and being ready
for a change from the farmer’s side is the policy interest in
Ethiopia, the adoption rate of modern agricultural
technologies and innovations for increasing production and
income in the country is very low (Hailu et al., 2014; Zeng
et al., 2017). According to Getachew (2016), a process of
adopting agricultural technologies by farmers is still very
slow despite various studies and extension efforts and calls
for further studies. Information at national, regional, zonal
and district level adoption and dissemination of improved
grain legume technologies by smallholder farmers are
scarcely available in the country (Yirga et al., 2015). The
aim of this paper was to review the adoption, initiatives and
strategic plans, opportunities, constraints, and emphases
for future interventions for legume crops production and
productivity in Ethiopia.
Methodology
This review adopted preferred reporting items for
systematic literature review approach to search and select
literatures relevant to the topic. A literature search for this
review was restricted to articles published between 2000 and
2019 in different journals, research centers, annual and
consultant reports available in different institutions affiliated
with the national agricultural research system. The review
focused primarily on literatures of studies conducted in
Ethiopia and other developing African countries. Articles for
this review were searched and identified from electronic
databases such as Web of Science, AGRIS, Research Gate,
978
Science Direct, Taylor and Francis, Springer, different
African and Ethiopian Journals, and libraries of the
Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) and
different National Research Institutes.
A total of about 150 articles were retrieved mainly
focusing on empirical results reported on production and
productivity of grain legumes, adoption of grain legumes in
the production system, determinants and factors related to
adoption of grain legumes production, initiatives, strategies
and opportunities of legume crops production, and major
constraints and challenges that needs due attention for
improved adoption, production and productivity. Individual
articles from the collected literatures were grouped with
respect to the research objectives and content types.
Research objectives and content types were further subclassified into articles focusing on the themes of the review.
Following a critical review, sixty-four articles were used to
develop the final review, most from studies conducted in
Ethiopia and other African countries.
Results and Discussions
The review was organized according to the following
literature themes: (1) the overview of grain legumes
production and their importance in Ethiopia; (2) adoption
level of legumes production and technologies by small
scale farmers which sub-categorized into: (i) the need for
adoption of grain legumes; (ii) adoption level of legume
crops production in Ethiopia; (iii) determinants and factors
influencing rate of legume crops adoption (3) initiatives
and strategic plans for grain legumes production in
Ethiopia, (4) opportunities that exist for legumes
production and productivity in Ethiopia and (5) major
constraints and challenges facing legumes and needs due
attention for improved adoption, production and
productivity; and (6) emphases and recommendations for
future interventions concerning adoption and promotion of
legumes, and enhancing their production and productivity
for development of agricultural system in the country.
Overview of Grain Legumes Production and Their
Importance in Ethiopia
Grain legumes belong to the family Fabaceae of the
Angiospermae and are considered rich in high-quality
proteins with significant impacts on the nutrition, diet, and
health of many people across the world (Popoola et al.,
2019). They are the edible seeds of plants of the legume
family and they have in common that they grow in pods.
They are harvested mature, can be dried and stored for
longer periods without refrigeration, and marketed dry to
be used as food or feed or processed into various products
(Getachew, 2019).
Legume crops provide food for humans and feed for
domestic animals (Popoola et al., 2019). They are a desirable
commodity independent of whether they are viewed as a costeffective option for improving the diets of low-income
consumers who cannot easily afford meat, dairy products and
fish. In Ethiopia, legumes are the second most important
element in the national diet and a principal protein source.
Besides, legumes contain double or triple the amount of
proteins as cereal grains do, provide calories and essential
micronutrients and are low in fat and high in fiber, thus, reduce
malnutrition and improves human health. They are can be
Kebede / Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(4): 977-989, 2020
consumed as boiled, roasted, or as a stew-like dish known as
‘Wot’ that accompanies the locally made bread called ‘Injera’
(Koroma et al., 2016).
Grain legumes are necessary elements of crop
production in Ethiopia's smallholders’ agriculture, providing
various advantages to small farm holdings (Meselu, 2019).
Ethiopian farmers produce different legume crops mainly
for food and feed, to fetch cash, and more importantly to
restore the fertility of the cropland. Among different
legumes, faba bean (Vicia faba L.), field pea (Pisum sativum
L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), lentil (Lens cultinaris
Medik.), grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.), fenugreek
(Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) and lupine (Lupinus albus
L.) are categorized as highland legume crops and grown in
the cooler highlands. On the other hand, haricot bean
(Phaseolus vulgaris L.), soya bean (Glycine max L.), cowpea
(Vigna unguiculata L.), pigeon pea (Cajanuscajan L.) and
mung beans (Vigna radiata) are categorized as lowland
legume crops and predominantly grown in the warmer and
low land parts of the country (Tegegne, 2017).
Grain legumes in Ethiopia cover about 13% of the total
cultivated land that is 1.6 million hectares (ha) and provide
11.89% of the total crop production of the country, which is
2.67 million tons (CSA, 2015). The production by volume
has been increased by 71.92% with a growth rate of 3.78%
per annum for the duration of nearly 20 years and the area
coverage by legume crops has been increased by 53% with
a growth rate of 3% per year (Atnaf et al., 2015). Of the
different legumes produced, faba beans account for nearly
one-third of entire legume production, followed by haricot
beans, field beans, and chickpeas (each around 14% of
production) while other grain legumes, such as grass peas,
lentils and white pea beans make up the remaining 25%
(ITC, 2019). The participation of farmers in the production
of legumes in the country has been increased nearly by
twofold from 4.5 to 8.5 million farmers for the last 20 years
(Atnaf et al., 2015). The trends of productivity in quintals
per hectare of different legume crops in Ethiopia from
2007/2008 to 2017/2018 cropping year is indicated in Figure 1.
According to CSA (2018) report, grain legumes grown
in 2017/18 covered 12.61% (1,598,806.51 hectares) of the
grain crop area and about 9.73% (29,785,880.89 quintals) of
the grain production was obtained from the crops. Faba
beans, haricot beans (white), haricot beans (red), and
chickpeas were planted to 3.45% (about 437,106.04
hectares), 0.71% (about 89,382.68 hectares), 1.71% (about
216,803.91 hectares) and 1.91% (about 242,703.73 hectares)
of the grain crop area. The production obtained from faba
beans, haricot beans (white), haricot beans (red), chickpeas
and field peas were 3.01% (about 9,217,615.35 quintals),
0.48% (about 1,482,128.42 quintals), 1.22% (3,727,664.85
quintals), 1.63% (4,994,255.50 quintals) and 1.20%
(3,685,190.65) of the grain production, respectively. The
mean annual global production of major grain legumes as
adapted from Kebede (2020) is indicated in Table1.
While grain legumes are grown throughout the country,
Oromia, Amhara, SNNPR and Tigray regions are the first four
leading regions in producing grain legume crops in the
country and take the largest percentage proportions which are
43.7; 39.47; 13.31 and 1.19, respectively. The total cultivated
area under grain legumes in Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, and
Tigray regions is 0.68 (42.40%); 0.62 (39.91%); 0.24
(14.75%) and 0.037 (2.33%) million hectares of land,
respectively (Getachew, 2019). The author also revealed the
average volume of production of top four grain legume
producing regions in Ethiopia (in 000 quintals) during the last
eleven years as shown in Figure 2.
There is increasing recognition of the importance of
grain legumes in improving food and nutrition security,
creating more sustainable and climate-resilient food
systems (Koroma et al., 2016). When utilized in crop
rotation and intercropping, legume crops can increase soil
fertility, improve soil health and increase the yield of other
crops. Because of their unique capacity to fix nitrogen from
the atmosphere, they are able to make their own nitrogen
fertilizer, play an important role in improving soil fertility
and help in making farming systems more climate-smart
(Vidigal et al., 2019). When the plant dies, it leaves
nitrogen in the soil that crops other plants can take up,
improve soil fertility and, thus, save fertilizer costs in
subsequent (Koroma et al., 2016).
Figure 1. Trends of productivity (quintals per hectare) of different legume crops in Ethiopia from 2007/2008 to
2017/2018 cropping year. Source: Getachew (2019) using data obtained from CSA (Central Statistical Authority of
Ethiopia) agricultural sample survey reports of 2008-2018.
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Kebede / Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(4): 977-989, 2020
Figure 2. Average volume of production of top four grain legume producing regions (in 000 quintals) during the last
eleven years. Source: Getachew (2019) using data adapted from CSA (Central Statistical Authority of Ethiopia)
agricultural sample survey reports from 2008 to 2018.
Table 1. Mean annual global production of grain legume crops from 2008 to 2017
Grain legumes
Production (tons)
Haricot beans
25,657,833.0
Field peas
11,691,517.3
Chickpeas
11,672,579
Cowpeas
6,498,236.8
Faba beans (Broad beans)
4,468,240.1
Lentils
4,990,522.6
Pigeon peas
4,449,435.9
Other grain legumes*
6,254,656.9
Total grain legumes
75,683,021.6
*Data for other grain legumes were determined by difference between total grain legumes production as reported by Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) (2019) and the total of the seven grain legume crops listed in the above table. Source: Kebede (2020).
Legumes also improve the more intensive and productive
use of land, particularly in areas where land is scarce and the
crop can be grown as a second crop using residual moisture
(Vidigal et al., 2019). Besides, legumes provide a source of
cash incomes for smallholders because of their increasing
importance and growing demand in local, regional and
international markets (Asfaw et al., 2011; Ferede et al., 2014).
Ethiopia ranks 6th in chickpea production, and 14th in the
production of common bean. Among African countries,
Ethiopia is the largest producer of both chickpea and common
bean (Getachew, 2016). Grain legumes are the third-largest
export crop of Ethiopia after coffee and sesame, contributing
around USD 251 million to export earnings in 2013/14
(Meselu, 2019). The most important export legume crops
include haricot beans, chickpeas (Kabuli type), faba beans,
lentils and field peas (Getachew, 2019).
Adoption of Legumes Production and Technologies
by Small Scale Farmers
The need for adoption of grain legumes
According to Melesse (2018), adoption is defined as the
integration of innovation into farmers’ normal farming
activities over an extended period. Adoption can also be
considered as a variable representing behavioral changes
that farmers undergo in accepting new ideas and
innovations in agriculture anticipating some positive
impacts of those ideas and innovations. As stated by
980
Amanuel and Girma (2018), raising agricultural output and
productivity on a sustainable basis necessitates large scale
adoption and dissemination of new technologies such as
legume-based technologies.
Adoption of new agricultural technologies and
improved practices play a key role in increasing
agricultural production, improving national food security
in developing countries, stimulating overall economic
growth through intersectoral linkages and conserving
natural resources (Sanchez et al., 2009). Among
agricultural technologies, the adoption of different grain
legume technologies has a great advantage for a country
like Ethiopia where the agriculture sector drives the entire
economy and have a positive contribution towards food
security, income improvement, household expenditure,
poverty and generally on the welfare of farm households.
Ethiopian farmers’ produce different legume crops
mainly for food and feed, to fetch cash, and more
importantly to restore the fertility of the cropland (Atnaf et
al., 2015) and prevent land degradation while improving
crop and livestock production on a more sustainable basis
(Kassie, 2011). Most legumes produce several products
and serve for various functions during their growth or after
harvest and are often referred to as being multipurpose.
These functions include generation of income, provision of
food, fuel and livestock feed, soil fertility improvement
through biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), soil erosion
Kebede / Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(4): 977-989, 2020
control, and a range of other benefits (Muoni et al., 2019).
The adoption of such multipurpose crop, which enhances
agricultural productivity while conserving the natural
resource base, is helpful for achieving income and food
security, and for reversing land degradation.
In a wider perspective, legumes have long been
advocated for enhanced nutrition and preserving soil
resources in low input agriculture although farmers’
production of legumes is minimal in Ethiopia and even
across most of sub-Saharan Africa (Kerr et al., 2007).
Further, adopting pro-poor and environment-friendly
legume technologies have the potential to increase
agricultural productivity and help transform subsistence
agriculture towards market-oriented and income-generating
pathways (Asfaw et al., 2010). The adoption of legumes
adapted to different agroecologies especially the semi- and
arid tropics contribute to the diversity of cropping systems
and diets of people living in these areas. According to
Chibarabada et al. (2017), the adoption of grain legumes has
been mainly linked to them being rich sources of protein,
low in saturated fat, as well as possessing certain important
micronutrients. Comprehensively, Kassie (2011) clearly
indicated the potential for adoption of legume production
and technologies to household welfare (income) and
environmental conservation (Figure 3).
Figure 3. The potential for adoption of legume
production and technologies to household welfare (income)
and environmental conservation. Source: Kassie (2011)
The adoption and incorporation of legumes into the
cereal-based farming system can provide services such as
high quantity and quality fodder production, soil erosion
prevention, and soil fertility restoration. Besides, legume
adoption could increase yields of crops through breaking
cycles of pests and diseases, improved soil structure, or
increase of organic matter as a result of residual benefit.
Residual benefits can also be accredited to an enhancement
in the nitrogen economy of the soils (Kassie, 2011). For
instance, results in Ethiopia showed that vetch, lablab, and
clovers are capable of leaving 30-60 kg N/ha through their
root systems when they are intercropped with cereal crops.
Adoption Level of Grain Legumes Production in
Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, different grain legume technologies have been
made available to smallholder farmers through the national
agricultural extension system and various technology scaling
projects (Alemu et al., 2018). These scaling up projects
include legume research which is augmented by the CGIAR
centers such as CIAT, ICARDA, ICRISAT and IITA
supporting research for development projects of chickpea,
lentil, faba bean, beans, grass pea in partnership with National
Agricultural Research System (Bishaw et al., 2018). Besides,
other projects such as Integrated Seed Sector Development
(ISSD) (Bishaw et al., 2018), Tropical Legumes supported by
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Treasure Legumes
project supported by IFAD (Asfaw et al., 2010) played a great
role in enhancing the unexploited potential of legumes for the
poor. A number of technology adoption studies were also
conducted to confirm accountability for the legume
investments made as well as to guide forthcoming research
and development endeavors (Abebe and Bekele, 2015; Yirga
et al., 2015; 2016; Bishaw and Alemu, 2017) and to measure
success towards reaching the national goals of reducing rural
poverty, increasing food security and nutrition and improving
foreign currency earnings (Alemu et al., 2018).
Consequent to the present agricultural commercialization
policy in Ethiopia, legumes have recently emerged as the third
strategic agricultural export commodity next to coffee and
sesame in making foreign exchange earnings for economic
growth in Ethiopia (Ferede et al., 2014). Adoption and
increasing the production and productivity of grain legumes is
considered as an opportunity in reversing trends in low
productivity, poverty and food insecurity in the country. The
grain legume industries have also developed significantly with
little intervention as there exists a great potential to increase
the production and influence of legumes through practical and
targeted support (Getachew, 2019).
In recent years, there has been increasing research
interest across the different regions on the adoption and
integration of legume crops into the agricultural systems
with the objective of improving and sustaining soil fertility.
Consequently, most of the legume crops are known to be
ideal for enhancing soil fertility, as they are commonly
fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing, efficient in taking and
recycling nutrients, and easily decomposable (Amede,
2003). Much of the successes of adoption and production
of legume sub-sectors have also been observed and
accredited to the development and wide use of market
preferred improved production technologies that have
made substantial improvement in production and
productivity (Ferede et al., 2014).
Grain legumes research program in Ethiopia has
released a number of improved varieties to improve the
productivity through developing and promoting enhanced
cultivars with high and stable yield, and resistant/tolerant
to significant biotic and abiotic stresses (Meselu, 2019).
Despite the release of improved varieties, the use of
certified improved seeds by farmers is low. MoA (2013)
indicated that low agricultural technology adoption rates
can have many reasons of which the important reasons are
the substantial lack of improved seed and low use of
available improved varieties. For instance, Meselu (2019)
reported a low adoption rate of improved faba bean
varieties based on the proportion of land allocated which is
estimated to be 22.38% at a national level.
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Kebede / Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(4): 977-989, 2020
Despite considerable initiatives and investments in
improving the adoption, technology generation and
positive contribution of legumes to the various systems, the
adoption of legumes be it for food, feed or cover crops is
very low (Amede, 2003). The capacity of the research
system in enhancing the effectiveness of the agricultural
extension services, creating a vibrant and dynamic national
seed system and widespread use of grain legume
technologies is limited (Odame et al., 2013). Further,
Alemu et al. (2018) reported an over-all low level of
adoption estimates with considerable variations among the
crops and across regions of Ethiopia though there were
higher adoption estimates in some regions and locations
which suggest limited nature of promotion efforts of
improved legume production and technologies. These
authors also stated that the capacity and nature of formal
seed system, limited investment in demand creation,
ineffective seed demand assessment and supply are key
determinants related to the adoption and use of diverse
improved grain legumes.
Mtambanengwe and Mapfumo (2009) investigated the
challenges associated with the adoption and usage of
legumes and showed that the rate of adoption is low and
has not significantly contributed to rural livelihoods
although there had been successful testing of technologies.
These authors indicated that land allocated to legumes was
also small to make a significant impact reducing the
adoption and contribution of legumes. According to
Mtambanengwe and Mapfumo (2009), a strong focus of
the farmers was maintained on the yields of nonlegume
crops such as maize and sorghum especially in cropping
systems where intercropping is practiced. On the other
hand, Asfaw et al. (2010) showed that research centers and
bureaus of Agriculture and Rural Development promoted
some of the existing technologies; however, farmers’
adoption of these technologies has been limited. Farmers
also have different levels of adoption and the application
may take a long time to be practiced by farmers for scaling
up even though various crop agriculture technologies are
considered as a principal.
Adoption estimates based on the household survey
indicated that the adoption rates measured as the proportion
of households and area share of improved varieties are also
low (Yirga et al., 2016). Alemu et al. (2018) linked low
adoption of grain legumes with the extent of use of released
varieties as the adoption of improved legume varieties by
smallholder farmers is low regardless of the release of a
fairly good number of improved varieties. Asfaw et al.
(2011) also showed that knowledge of existing varieties,
perception about the attributes of improved varieties,
household wealth (livestock and land) and availability of
active labor force are major determinants for the adoption
of improved production technologies. Chibarabada et al.
(2017) indicated that breeding and crop improvement of
grain legumes have been limited by the poor adoption of
seed and the failure of breeders to improve farmers’
varieties and tap into certain beneficial traits leads to low
adoption and production. The estimates of adoption rate of
improved major legume crops in different production areas
of Ethiopia and the extent of varietal adoption of grain
legumes are shown in Table 2 and Table 3, respectively.
Determinants and Factors Influencing the Rate of
Grain Legumes Adoption
Several factors have been identified to determine the
adoption, production and distribution of legumes and
legume-based technologies, which could be contained
under and well-defined by three relative factors as stated
by Amede (2003); viz. i) socio-cultural, economic and
political ii) agroecological and iii) management at farm
level. According to Ferede et al. (2014), the adoption of
agricultural technologies are influenced by a wide array of
technical, economic, social, and institutional factors of
which the two major factors are the main drivers of
adoption of agricultural technologies in developing
countries: (a) the availability and affordability of
technologies; and (b) farmers' expectations that the use of
those technologies remain profitable which in turn
influenced by factors such as access to land, labor, prices,
and profitability of agricultural enterprises.
Table 2. Estimates of adoption of improved major legume crops.
Crop
EAR (%)
Indicator
19.4
% of national chickpea area
17.4
% of chickpea producers
25.6
% of chickpea area
20.0
% of chickpea area
Chickpea
7.0
% of chickpea area
4.0
% of chickpea area
12.5
% of lentil producers
15.6
% of lentil area
2.6
% of lentil producers
2.2
% of lentil area
30.1
% of lentil producers
Lentil
38.6
% of lentil area
19.6
Full adopters
1.9
Partial adopters
Faba bean
22.38
% of faba bean area
Common beans
79
% of common bean producers
Area coverage
Year
Source
2013
S1
2013
S2
2014
S3
2015
S4
National
Oromiya
Benishangul Gumuz
Amhara
SNNP
National
Amhara
Amhara
Oromia
Oromia
National
Central Rift Valley
EAR: Estimated adoption rate (%); S1: Yirga et al. (2015; S2: Yirga et al. (2016); S3: Bishaw and Alemu (2017); S4: Abebe and Bekele (2015); Source:
Alemu et al. (2018).
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Table 3. The extent of varietal adoption in grain legumes in Ethiopia
Crop
No of varieties reported by farmers
Chickpea
Nine varieties of 23 released varieties
Lentil
Two varieties of 11 released varieties
Faba bean
Six varieties of 31 released varieties
Field pea
Haricot bean*
Three varieties of 35 released varieties (% of
total area)
Five varieties from 57 varieties released
Major varieties
Arerti
Shasho
Alemaya
CS-20–DK
Degaga
Adi
Mohanderfer
Tegegnech
Awash 1
Awash melka
Nasir
FA (%)
9.61
5.23
11.42
2.54
2.23
1.10
0.37
0.06
39.5
5.6
47.4
YR
2000
2000
1998
1977
2002
1995
1979
1994
1990
1998
2003
FA: % of farmers adopting; YR: Year of release; Note: *Represents estimates from rift valley areas of the country (Melkassa Agricultural Research
Center, 2016). Sources: Alemu et al. (2018).
Studies have also indicated that labor requirements,
seed access and appropriate genotypes (varieties) are
determinants of legumes production and technology
adoption and intensification (Kamanga et al., 2001; Kerr et
al., 2007). Kerr et al. (2007) further stated that different
biological properties of legumes present challenges to rate
of adoption of legumes which includes: i) the moderate
yield of legumes compared to cereals and tubers; ii) the
high labor requirement associated with a crop of initially
slow growth habit; and iii) relatively few large seeds are
produced per plant, necessitating the use of large amounts
of seed (on a weight basis) per land area, which
substantially increases establishment costs compared to
cereals.
Different socio-economic aspects also act as
determinants to farmers for adopting and producing
legumes. These include: i) limited and uncertain market
access; ii) unstable and highly variable prices for legume
products across locations and time; iii) limited farmer
access to seeds of improved legume genotypes; and iv)
insufficient
attention
by
researchers
to
the
multifunctionality of legumes (Kerr et al., 2007). A report
by Amede (2003) also indicated that three factors
determine the decision of farmers to grow or not to grow
legumes and adopt legume technologies. These are: i) In
subsistence farming, the food habit dictates the amount of
land to be allocated for various crops and the type and
amount of input invested per crop. ii) The fertility status of
the land and the incidence of pests and diseases dictate the
frequency of legumes in the cropping systems i.e. the
proportion of legumes usually increases with the decline in
soil productivity and increased incidence of pests and
diseases. iii) The market value of respected crops may
dictate how much land is allocated for legumes.
Evidences have also showed that problems related to
market reduced the adoption and production of legumes
(Ferede et al., 2014). In addition, the legume export is not
competitive in terms of price, quality and volume so that
the local market accounts for the largest share (80%) of the
legumes trade volume (Shiferaw et al, 2007). As a result,
the involvement of smallholder farmers into legumes
production and their integration into the market economy
remains limited. At large, adoption of agricultural
technology is influenced by a set of independent variables
like farmer and household characteristics (such as age,
gender, education level, and family size), psychological
factors (such as attitudes to and perceptions of improved
inputs), socioeconomic factors (such as farm size, land
size, number of livestock and income), institutional factors
(such as credit, extension, membership in cooperatives and
infrastructure like access to roads) (Ayele and Bosire,
2011).
Initiatives and Strategic Plans for Grain Legumes
Production in Ethiopia
Cognizant to the importance of the agricultural sector,
different agricultural production enhancing initiatives,
strategies and measures have been adopted in Ethiopia. The
main purpose of such initiations and strategies are to
increase the production and productivity of farmers thereby
increasing their level of commercialization that eventually
improves the nutritional status of households and reduces
poverty (Tafese, 2018). Historically, in Ethiopia, efforts to
generate and adopt improved food legume technologies
adapted to local conditions and demonstration trials on
farmers’ fields to encourage uptake of different
technologies dates back to the early 1970s. Consequently,
the Ethiopian government has launched a number of
initiatives and strategies aimed at increasing the
competitiveness of smallholder farmers in the legumes
sector realizing the immense potential of grain legumes to
supply high-quality products for both the domestic and
export market, increase farm income and contribute to food
security (Yirga et al., 2015).
According to Getachew (2019), the government of
Ethiopia is taking various policy measures that used to
develop the potential of the legume subsector and to
increase the competitiveness of smallholder farmers. These
policy initiatives paved the initial path for private sector
participation in the legumes sector, which contributes to
improvements in adoption, production and marketing. The
prominent initiatives include the generation, adaptation
and promotion of improved food legume production
technologies involving high yielding varieties, adoption
and use of recommended fertilizer rates and crop protection
practices, market liberalization, promotion of grain
legumes export trade and financing incentives aimed at
enhancing the competitiveness of exporters (Yirga, 2010;
Yirga et al., 2015).
The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research,
through its outreach program, the agricultural extension
agents, and the agriculture bureaus of the regional states,
were also involved in demonstrations and scaling up of
proven grain legume technologies to farmers (Yirga et al.,
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Kebede / Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(4): 977-989, 2020
2015). The Ethiopian Pulses, Oilseeds and Spices
Exporters Association (EPOSPEA) is an association for
private sector actors involved in the production,
processing, marketing and trade of legume products
(Koroma et al., 2016). Besides, the Ethiopian rural
development policy and strategy document have also given
weight to follow diversification and specializations in
production systems along with improved access and use of
agricultural technologies as one of the approaches to ensure
households’ food security (Amanuel and Girma, 2018).
The Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) has
been established to address specific systemic bottlenecks
by strengthening capacities, introducing new technologies
and approaches to accelerate agricultural development in
Ethiopia. One of these approaches is the agricultural
commercialization cluster approach, which involves using
a market-driven and geographically based approach to
accelerate the transition of farmers from subsistence to
commercial orientation. Accordingly, ATA has started
working in the four major legume producing regions of
Ethiopia (Oromia, Amhara, SSNP and Tigray region).
Through the cluster approach, a number of grain legumes
have been prioritized, particularly, chickpeas and haricot
beans in Oromia and Amhara region, but also lentils, faba
bean and soybeans (Koroma et al., 2016).
The Agricultural Transformation Agency has also
recently started organizing and legalizing the formation of
seed producer cooperatives which are emerged as a major
force of farmer-based seed production and recognized as
an intermediate sector. These seed producer cooperatives
in Ethiopia played an important role in seed delivery filling
the seed demand gap of the formal sector. Bishaw et al.
(2018) indicated that about 273 seed producer cooperatives
were organized and supported to engage in seed business
in potential Agricultural Growth Program (AGP) districts,
moisture stress areas in Productive Safety Net Project
(PSNP) districts and non-AGP and non-PSNP districts
during 2009 to 2015 of which 98 seed producer
cooperatives have been engaged in grain legume seed
production (Table 4). Some of these cooperatives evolved
from farmer research groups established for adaptive
research, participatory variety selection, pre-extension
technology demonstration or pre-scaling up/out activities
by National Agricultural Research System while others
were established by public seed enterprises for contractual
seed production or by NGOs and projects for local seed
production.
International Crops Research Institute for the SemiArid Tropics (ICRISAT) in collaboration with the
Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) has
also developed several high-yielding and stress-tolerant
varieties of legumes, especially chickpea, with desirable
agronomic and market traits to harness the untapped
potential of legumes for the poor. As a result, a total of
eleven improved chickpea varieties had been released as a
result of this research program (Asfaw et al., 2011).
Besides, ICRISAT initiated two major legume projects:
(Tropical Legumes II) supported by the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation and Treasure Legumes project supported
by IFAD to address the constraints in production and
enhance the unexploited potential of legumes for the poor
(Asfaw et al., 2010).
984
The technology promotion and decentralized seed
production efforts by Farmer Research Group (FRG) and
Tropical Legumes (TL) projects are outlined to provide a
glimpse of the design followed (Habte et al., 2018). The
approach involves demand creation by promoting and
providing information followed by multiplying of seeds of
legume varieties demanded by farmers. For instance, the
decentralized seed production and dissemination initiative
of the common bean technology scaling up effort has been
employed and gave rise to increased demand for improved
varieties and associated practices (Teshale et al., 2006).
Opportunities That Exist for Grain Legumes
Production in Ethiopia
Ethiopia has varied agro-ecology, especially great
variation in altitude ranging from sea level up to 4500
meters, which permits different agricultural systems and
production of different crops (Getachew, 2019). Besides,
the variation in climatic conditions and soil types makes
Ethiopia more suitable for growing of a variety of crops
including legume crops. On the other hand, there is a large
diversity of grain legumes that fit into various agroecologies in the country. Thus, there is an opportunity that
different grain legumes are to be adopted and promoted to
increase production and productivity, dietary diversity and
there is a prospect to broaden and increase the grain
legumes research, development and innovation.
Ethiopia is the second most populated country in Africa
(after Nigeria) and the population of Ethiopia is projected
to reach 130 million people in 2030 (Bekele and Lakew,
2014). This population is expected to double by the year
2050 compared with 2010, and the per capita domestic
grain legume demand is expected to increase by 62% in
Ethiopia (van Loon et al, 2018). Population growth
combined with rising incomes is expected to be the main
driver for sustained demand for legume crops offering huge
potential for domestic and regional investment in legume
crops production. In addition, Ethiopians have a fasting
period of over 200 days a year, and a range of grain
legumes is consumed during this fasting period (Koroma et
al., 2016). Therefore, the option that looks more likely is
increasing yield through intensification and adoption of
different legumes together with the adoption of different
improved agricultural practices and technologies.
The ambition to increase value addition in the
agricultural value chain through processing is essential in
Ethiopian agricultural growth strategies (Koroma et al.,
2016). Ethiopia has also a number of grain legumes
processing factories. According to Getachew (2019), grain
legumes industry has developed significantly throughout
the country with little intervention, and great potential
exists to increase the production and impact of legumes
through proactive and targeted support. These offer an
opportunity to stabilize and increase supply by improving
production and quality up to the full potential which can
meet domestic demands and ensure food security.
Grain legumes, especially haricot beans (red kidney
beans), are produced through major cooperatives that exist
along the major regions of Ethiopia (ITC, 2019).
Cooperatives in Ethiopia are also moving towards agroprocessing of grain legumes such as chickpea, taking
advantage of tax exemptions granted to cooperatives
(Koroma et al., 2016). Therefore, the initiation of these
Kebede / Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(4): 977-989, 2020
cooperatives and improved income realized from agroprocessing could promote an opportunity for legume crops
production. The opportunities that exist in agro-processing
could also lead to the opening of new markets through
value addition and product diversification. On the other
hand, the demography and urbanization development of
Ethiopia is also attractive to different agricultural
investments (Getachew, 2019). Moreover, rapid
urbanization is driving the growing demand for processed
food based on grain legumes. This offers opportunities for
employment and entrepreneurship in both large and smallscale industries and could be an attractive sector for rural
and urban youth and small-scale farmers around urban to
be involved in legumes production.
Ethiopia has prioritized the development of livestock
sectors in order to increase the domestic production of meat
and dairy products (Koroma et al., 2016). Besides, the
demand for legumes and their residues as animal feed is
growing due to changing diets. Stalks of different legume
crops such as faba beans and lentils are used as animal feed
and provide additional income to farmers involved in the
production of legumes (van den Broek 2014). There is a
growing demand for soybean meal for the poultry industry
in Ethiopia as soybean meal is used in the production of
animal feed for pets and livestock. Such development of
livestock sectors and the high demand for animal feed leads
to increased production of animal feed in the region which
could provide a strong foundation for producing and
developing regional value chains in grain legumes.
Table 4. Number of seed producer cooperatives established and engaged in legume seed production in 2015
AGP
PSNP
Non AGP/PSNP
Total
Region
Total
Legumes
Total
Legumes
Total
Legumes
Total
Legumes
Amhara
16
8
16
6
40
4
72
18
Oromia
30
22
43
28
46
12
119
62
SNNPR
7
0
19
2
8
7
34
9
Tigray
4
1
7
8
37
0
48
9
Total
57
31
85
44
131
23
273
98
AGP: Agricultural Growth Program; PSNP: Productive Safety Net Project; SNNPR: Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region. Sources:
Bishaw et al. (2018).
The presence of relatively well-established export
markets and the availability of a range of improved
varieties of legumes (developed through strong national
research program) are also the opportunities that can be
harnessed to boost both the production and marketing of
this commodity. Habte et al. (2018) reported that the
opportunities for grain legumes particularly common bean
is the presence of a favorable policy environment which
encourages market-oriented production and incentive for
farmer-based organizations to participate in the
international market. Particularly, increasing international
demand for common beans and mung beans is an excellent
opportunity for farmers to increase production, export
market and research and development actors to develop
and promote technologies that meet such demands.
In addition, the country is moving towards
improvement in different infrastructures, especially roads,
linking major production areas with market places and
progresses in accessing price information (because of
expansion in coverage of mobile phones) (Habte et al.,
2018). These are expected to reduce the transaction cost of
marketing legumes thereby providing incentives for
increasing the quantity and quality of production. The
opportunities
for
market
development
and
commercialization are particularly favorable for legume
crops which tend to have higher domestic, regional and
international demand.
More recently in Ethiopia, legumes became a substitute
for meat due to exceptionally high prices of beef and
mutton; households could have shifted to the consumption
of legumes. The fact that legumes are often consumed by
the low-income groups because they cannot afford meat
products (FAO, 2015) and the unusually high meat price
increase offers an opportunity of growing legume crops
and becoming more attractive and profitable (Getachew,
2019).
Grain legumes mature early than other crops and this
may help farmers to resist water shortage. This also helps
to keep household food secured till the other crops are
harvested and the fund from the sale of early harvested
legume crops used to buy labor to harvest other crops and
to cover other immediate expenses (Getachew, 2019). On
the other hand, legumes have a natural ability to maintain
soil through nitrogen-fixing, which improves yields of
other crops, and result in savings for smallholder farmers
from less fertilizer use (Yirga et al., 2010; FAO, 2016).
This property is very essential and could be an opportunity
for farmers especially where the soil degradation and
nutrient depletion is the main causes of low agricultural
productivity and high food insecurity (Gashaw et al., 2014;
Birhanu, 2014; Adugna et al., 2015).
Constraints and Challenges Facing Grain Legumes
Production
A number of constraints and considerable challenges
prevail in legumes production and productivity along with
their value-chain (Atnaf et al., 2015). Although legumes
have many desirable characteristics in terms of nutrition
and environmental benefits, in most parts of Ethiopia they
are considered as secondary crops which makes them not
to be included in the investment resources and policy
attentions (Getachew, 2019). Compared to cereal crops
(teff, wheat, maize, barley, sorghum and millet), legume
crops receive less quantity of land resources and other
inputs (Demelash, 2018). The use of irrigation, improved
seeds, fertilizers and chemicals to control pests and
diseases allocated for legume crops are also not satisfactory
and limited causing low productivity of legume crops
(Getachew, 2019).
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Kebede / Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(4): 977-989, 2020
Major production constraints for legumes are the
absence of links to seed suppliers and value chains, lack of
improved seeds and a high use of local varieties (on more
than 95% of the total cropped area) (Yirga, 2010),
inadequate farm management practices, underdeveloped
infrastructures, and population pressure and land
fragmentation (Ronner and Giller, 2012). Low soil fertility
in the high potential areas is another problem, while
fertilizer use on legume crops is usually low (Asfaw and
Shiferaw, 2009). According to Agegnehu (2018), poor soil
fertility, soil acidity and the associated low phosphorus
availability are among the major constraints affecting the
production and productivity of food legumes in Ethiopia.
Tsegaye et al. (2015) and Getachew (2019) indicated
that the productivity of legume in Ethiopia is severely
constrained by four major factors, which are limited or no
use of chemical fertilizers, improved seeds, limited use of
conventional agronomic practices, and human factors such
as access and control over resources. Water-logging,
drought, poor management and lack of improved
technology also limit legumes productivity. Schneider and
Anderson (2010) also explained that diseases such as
mildew, rust and the wilt/root-rot complex are the most
important biotic constraints facing legume crops
production in Ethiopia. According to Yirga (2010),
production and productivity of legume crops are below
potential due to low input usage, limited availability of
seed and limited familiarity with the variety of existing
legume types, and; limited usage of modern agronomic
practices.
Research and extension services in Ethiopia are very
often weak and information provided is usually focused on
technical issues, and not able to take into account the
complexity of agricultural intensification systems.
Specifically, weakly developed input supply systems for
seed, inoculants, fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides and
machinery services can be existing challenges to improve
the production of grain legumes (Koroma et al., 2016).
Marketing is another reason for the low production as a
poor linkage between producers and the market has been
observed to hinder producers’ willingness to produce more
legumes. Lack of technological change and market
imperfections have often locked small producers into
subsistence production and contributed to the stagnation of
the legumes sector (Shiferaw and Teklewold, 2007; Asfaw
et al., 2011). Weak linkage between the producers and the
export markets, the fragmentation of intermediaries
between the producer and consumer markets, inadequate
market intelligence, inability to leverage scale efficiencies
due to smaller size, non-conducive business environment
due to missing credit and insurance and inconsistent policy
interventions limited the production of legumes by small
scale farmers (Atnaf et al., 2015).
As reported by Yirga (2010), much of the grain
legumes produced in Ethiopia, which is approximately 65
to 90 percent, is consumed on-farm and only the remainder
is marketed indicating that smallholder farmers primarily
produce legumes for subsistence needs, and thus, the
income benefit is not well realized. Consequently, grain
legumes have become a poor and slow income-generating
source for smallholder farmers, acting as a disincentive to
their continued production despite the benefits associated
with them. The very limited numbers of private seed
986
enterprises and the low attention given to the informal seed
sector has also narrowed the options available to farmers
for obtaining modern varieties at affordable prices, at the
right place and time (Asfaw et al., 2011).
The absence of effective linkage between indigenous
knowledge and conventional ones has also been identified
as one of the major constraints that hinder the effective
development of agriculture in general and agricultural
research and extension systems in particular. However,
integration of appropriate indigenous knowledge systems
into development programs has contributed to efficiency;
effectiveness and sustainable development impact (Degaga
and Angasu, 2017). Farmers’ knowledge of the nitrogen
fixation characteristic of legumes, associated with soil
fertility improvement, and other functions including the
provision of livestock feed and fuel are not well articulated,
making it difficult for them to see the diverse plants.
In wider, Muoni et al. (2019) indicated that legumes
production and productivity are lower than expected in east
Africa including Ethiopia due to several reasons despite the
various benefits offered by them. The author identified five
important constraints viz.: (1) farmer unwillingness to test
legumes species that are new to them due to limited
resources and technologies; (2) insecure land tenure system
in smallholder farms; (3) limited access to inputs and
output markets; (4) high disease and pest incidences
associated with management of legumes and (5) cereal
dominated farming system.
Emphases and Recommendations for the Future
Interventions
The production and productivity gap of legume crops
can be minimized through the adoption and utilization of
improved production technology to enhance smallholder
farmer’s income and their food security. There should be
more integration of indigenous and scientific knowledge to
allow farmers to improve grain yield and quality.
Innovative approaches such as nutrition and education
outreach are also required for farmers involved in legumes
production. Besides, information on a better understanding
of gender relations, household variation, consumption
preferences and household resources are crucial in
determining whether legume introduction leads to positive
nutritional outcomes.
Essential interventions and enabling actions can
strengthen the legumes production and productivity, and
value chain to be productive and stable, and provide yearround transactions that supply domestic and international
markets. According to Yirga (2010), access to inputs is a
key step in bridging the yield gap between current and
potential production. Thus, production technologies should
be supplied to farmers, along with knowledge on how to
adopt and use them effectively, seed multiplication should
be increased to adequately supply the needs of farmers,
exporters and domestic demand. It is also important to be
more focused on the provision of regional-specific input
packages, development of new varieties appropriate for
export and leverage of cooperatives to provide reliable
input supply and off-take. Moreover, legume breeding
should be expanded especially in producing potential
varieties to be used in the country.
Kebede / Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(4): 977-989, 2020
With increased packages and promotion of grain
legumes, there is an opportunity to exploit the genetic
resources of different legume crops. In addition, various
researches also need to be done to assess the nutritional
profile and product development of grain legumes as this
would be more important and informative to dietary intake
and lead to improved utilization of grain legumes. Thus,
extension packages and improved legume technologies
should also be incorporated into the agricultural curriculum
of the country. Especially, knowledge and perception about
the improved legume varieties are the supporting factors
for adoption despite limited access.
Farmers require information on improved technologies
and market access to purchase inputs and sell products to
realize the benefits that are associated with their products.
Therefore, the use of available indigenous technical
knowledge especially the legume-based farming systems
will enhance production and productivity, improve the
agricultural sector and increase the sector contribution. A
value chain approach should also be targeted in improving
access of smallholder farmers to input and output markets.
An in-depth value chain analysis is necessary to understand
the market and provide support in improving both the input
and output (grain) markets.
Therefore, farmers should be given awareness on the
adoption of improved production technologies and
inducing broad-based market participation that transmits
excess supply of legumes to distant locations. Stronger
linkages between smallholders and exporters are of
paramount importance in leading a more efficient value
chain especially to ensure where demand signals are clearly
communicated to the producers, and where inputs are
available to ensure proper production of the crop. Thus,
actions that enable consistent supply between producers
and exporters should be facilitated.
The development of infrastructures and facilities (road,
transport, telecommunication, etc.) are also necessary to
reduce marketing/transaction costs which often affect
competitiveness in the world market. A policy for the
provision of better credit services and increased supply of
seed to local markets may help farmers to enhance the level
of adoption of legumes production. This implies that the
need for policy to strengthen and power government
extension services and rural institutions to promote and
create positive awareness about the existing improved
technologies. Therefore, the government will need to take
the lead in technology promotion and dissemination at the
initial stages and in creating an enabling environment for
effective participation of the private sector.
Beside their emergence as superior force and their
considerable efforts, cooperatives dealing with agricultural
productions especially seed producer cooperatives were
not homogeneous entities and as diverse as their origin and
vary in terms of structure, membership, governance,
legality, crops, capital, capacity, facilities, geographic
coverage and more (Bishaw et al., 2018). Therefore, further
strengthening of these cooperatives and other farmer-based
seed production programs and revolving seed schemes by
improving farmers’ skills in seed multiplication can assist
in increasing the supply of seed for improved legume
varieties both within communities and the formal seed
system. In addition, a more flexible seed system which is
financially and institutionally sustainable, that meets the
needs of a diverse group of farmers, and reduces the current
seed supply shortage is crucial to accelerate agricultural
growth and commercialization further This also allows
farmers sourced from different seed systems, according to
their needs and investment possibilities.
Adequate resources should be devoted to the
development and promotion of improved technologies,
technology development efforts should target traits of
legumes demanded by the producers and the markets. For
instance, mungbean and cowpea are getting increasing
importance in the world market (mungbean) and food and
feed crop (cowpea) particularly in drought-prone areas of
agro-pastoral farming systems of Ethiopia (Habte et al.,
2018).
Although national-level multi-stakeholder platforms to
promote the development of specific agricultural value
chains exist in Ethiopia (Koroma et al., 2016), a different
regional platform for grain legumes should be further
established to address specific bottlenecks affecting the
production and trade of grain legumes. A well-designed
promotion strategy and effective extension service and
platforms are also important in bringing different actors
along the value chain and their interests together, and thus,
need to be further strengthened.
According to the International Trade Centre (2019),
advances in production techniques through targeted
investment and knowledge transfer could increase total
legumes production and raise smallholder income by
between 40% and 70% per hectare. Thus, the Government
of Ethiopia has to further recognize the potential of legume
sectors and promote modern agronomic practices that
increase legume production and productivity.
Conclusions
In Ethiopia, grain legumes have recently emerged as a
strategic agricultural commodity in improving food
security, creating more sustainable and climate-resilient
production systems. The adoption and increasing the
production of grain legumes is considered as an
opportunity in reversing trends in low productivity,
poverty and food insecurity in the country. The
government of Ethiopia is currently taking various policy
measures and strategies to develop the potential of legumes
subsector and to increase their production and productivity.
In spite of all this, this review paper revealed that the level
adoption and production of grain legumes, be it for food,
feed or cover crops, is still remained low and limited. A
number of production constraints of grain legumes have
been identified including weak policy attentions, limited
use of production inputs, inadequate management
practices, weak research and extension services, weak
infrastructures, market problems and others. Prospects and
opportunities for enhancing production and productivity
are offered by varied agro-ecology, diversity of grain
legumes, population and urbanization trends, increased
demand for animal feed and processed foods. Furthermore,
increasing production techniques, packages and promotion
of grain legumes, improving technologies and market
987
Kebede / Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 8(4): 977-989, 2020
access, creating awareness and integration of indigenous
knowledge, and development of facilities needs due
attention and more emphases to improve grain legumes
adoption, production and productivity.
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