Building Income with Green Pepper Production in Ethiopia
W/ro Aster Lemma of Abo Yayebena kebele in Harborenda village, in Jarso, Ethiopia is 28. She has three children (two girls and one boy) – the eldest is 8 years old while the youngest is only two. Previously, Aster could only produce five to six quintals of crops on 1.5 hectare of the household’s land. Unfortunately, the amount generated was not enough to support her household. Crop production was also the family’s only source of income.
CPAR Ethiopia is focused on improving community nutritional status and diversifying household income sources. The organization has supported the vegetable project in the district since 2009. Working with the Harborenda Farmer Field School (FFS), Aster received green pepper seeds and training on agronomic and management practices. Aster then planted her seeds on 0.062 hectare of land.
“I never tried to produce peppers on such a scale before and I never saw other villagers do this either. It was only after the training and discussion in the FFS group that I came to realize the market value of peppers and therefore its income potential. By farming peppers on a small plot of land, I received about 3000 birr ($176) from half of the land. This left me with another half of crops that could be used for household consumption and also sold on the market,” said Aster.
When asked about her future plans, Aster says that she wants to expand her pepper farm and engage in other income generating activities such as sheep rearing. Neighbours are also motivated, according to Aster, to engage in a similar business because they have heard that she has made good money from pepper production.
Unfortunately, vegetable production in general faces ongoing challenges from various root diseases. Therefore, the FFS group must continue to work on integrated pest management and introduce other solutions when the intensity of infestation becomes problematic. CPAR Ethiopia and the District Agriculture Development Office plan to move forward with this initiative in order to help farmers protect their crops from diseases.
“I never tried to produce peppers on such a scale before and I never saw other villagers do this either. It was only after the training and discussion in the FFS group that I came to realize the market value of peppers and therefore its income potential. By farming peppers on a small plot of land, I received about 3000 birr ($176) from half of the land. This left me with another half of crops that could be used for household consumption and also sold on the market,” says Aster.