DETERMINANTS OF POTATO PRODUCTION IN GORO MUTI DISTRICT, EAST HARARGHE ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Despite there being favorable conditions for potato production there are a number of challenges that face smallholder potato farmers in Ethiopia and hence studying determinants of potato production is important. This study was aimed at identifying and analyzing fundamental socio-economic, production, and institutional factors affecting potato production and analyzing the opportunities and constraints of potato production at the smallholder farmers’ level. A multi-stage random sampling procedure was employed to select a sample of 196 potato farmers in the district. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from sample potato producers. Log-linear Cobb-Douglas production function and descriptive statistics were employed to achieve the specific objectives of the study. The descriptive results of the study indicated that the average and standard deviation of the potato production in the sample smallholder farmers were 33.81 quintals per hectare and 17.59, respectively. The log-linear production function model result revealed that improved seed, fertilizer, sex of the household head, cultivated land, agrochemicals used, and labor input and access to the market were found to be positively and statistically significant factors to affect potato production in the study area while education level and farm income were negatively and statistically significant respectively. Moreover, the significant independent input variables computed in the model had positive elasticity coefficients indicating that a direct positive relationship between the input variables and potato output. Farmers could increase potato output by using more of these inputs. The findings obtained in this study could be quite useful to policymakers for improving potato production and productivity. The study recommends that policy interventions should focus more on timely supply of DAP, Urea, improved seed to promote correct application rates and attain higher yields, and further farmers should be training on potato varieties and any other technology that can improve potato production and access to market to improve farmers’ potato production