Livelihood Profile Tigray Region, Ethiopia

Transcription

1 Livelihood Profile Tigray Region, Ethiopia Draft February Zone Description The Irob mountain livelihood zone covers the whole of Irob woreda, as well as two villages in Gulomekeda woreda and one village in Saese Tsaeda Emba. It is located in the eastern zone of Tigray, bordering Afar region to the East and Eritrea to the North. The landscape is mainly rugged mountains and hills, particularly in Irob, spanning the dega, woina dega and kolla altitudes. Notable geographical features include the Assimba and Ayga mountains. The area was previously covered in dense forest but deforestation over the last 30 years has left only sparse forestry, cactus and bush scrub. Temperatures reach maximum of degrees Celsius ( o C), and minimum of o C while mean annual rainfall is 250 to 300 mm during the rainy months of June and August. The population is a thinly spread at people per square km. The main economic activity is livestock production mixed with limited crop cultivation. The main livestock types are cattle and shoats. Livestock are kept primarily as a store of wealth and sold when the need for income arises. Some shoat slaughter is done during religious and festival seasons in April, June, and September. The main livestock market is outside of the livelihood zone in Adigrat. There is a shortage of animal feed and drinking water for animals. Available water for livestock consumption is from minor rivers and seasonal pools during the wet season and in perennial minor rivers, springs and shallow wells during the dry season. Because of poor water and pasture availability, milk production is low and lactation periods are relatively short. In some cases, cow milk consumption is supplemented by goat milk consumption. Oxen and mature female cattle are typically replaced from within the herd and in some cases livestock purchase is financed through the household credit package. The main livestock diseases are Anthrax, black leg and pasteurellosis. These diseases are aggravated by a shortage of veterinary drugs. When available, livestock drugs are purchased for a modest price from the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development (BoARD) and Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs). There is a severe shortage of cultivable land because the terrain is mountainous and has many cliffs. The main crops grown are barley, wheat, maize and pulses. In addition, wild cacti that grow on land owned by households are harvested for household consumption. Available land for crop production is limited and can mainly be found along the drainage lines which occur at the bottom of the mountains or hillsides. Check dams and terraces are built along the slope to control soil erosion. To supplement the available cultivable land, residents also cultivate on the beds of small seasonal rivers. Plowing is done using oxen and on the steep hillsides, plowing is done by hand. The soil is not fertile because of the igneous, metamorphic and sand stone geologic formations. Most residents try to enhance soil fertility by using animal manure and compost, while a minority use fertilizers. However, productivity per unit land is very low. The main pests and diseases that affect crops are the stalk borer, army worm, blight and powdery mildew. Treatment is free of charge/for cash from the Ministry of Agriculture. This is a drought prone area that has historically suffered from acute and chronic food insecurity, regardless of rainfall patterns. Residents of the zone have been receiving a monthly ration of food aid from the Government of Ethiopia, Catholic missionaries, and the Red Cross, for the past 50 years. Presently, for six months of the year, the Productive Safety-Nets Program (PSNP), initiated in 1997 (Ethiopian Calendar) provides food and cash through direct support for households without labor, and public works for households with labor. The zone is well suited for honey production because of the agro-ecology and existence of honey flora vegetation (Otestega, Ephorbia, Cactus, and Gerbia). 11 Field work for the current profile was undertaken in February The information presented refers to September 05 August 2006 (EC 1998), a good year by local standards. Provided there are no fundamental and rapid shifts in the economy, the information in this profile is expected to remain valid for approximately five years (i.e. until 2011). The exchange rate January USD = 8.676ETB.

2 The household credit package was made available to the zone in 1995 EC primarily to assist very poor, poor and middle households increase their livestock holding. Loans between 1000 Ethiopian Birr (ETB) and 1500 ETB were provided for cattle and shoat purchases. The loans are repaid over 2 to 4 years, at 9% interest per annum. The middle and better off also had access to loans for beehives purchase and other packages. These loans were between 500 ETB and 1000ETB and are repaid over 1 year at 9% interest per annum. All loan repayments can be suspended in the event of a drought. Depending on the source, loans are invested in oxen fattening, shoat sales or beehive purchases. Loan amounts are an average 1200 ETB at 9% interest per annum. The very poor, poor, and middle access loans with repayment periods ranging from 2 to 4 years. Loan repayment can be suspended in the event of drought or death of the household head. The main constraints to food security are lack of cultivable land due to the rugged terrain, infertile soils, lack of markets, and drought conditions. Markets There is no market in the livelihood zone. Residents travel 40km to Adigrat to access the market. A smaller market that facilitates limited trading is in the neighboring Eastern Plateau livelihood zone, Sefeya. Livestock are the main trade commodity in the market. Cattle are mainly sold mainly in October. Shoats, typically above 8 months old, are sold in September, December, and April. There are no local crop sales because of poor local production. Maize and wheat are imported into the livelihood zone from Adigrat between January and May. Maize is sold for 200ETB per quintal (100kg), and wheat is sold for 230ETB per quintal. The difficult terrain, poor road conditions and remoteness of the livelihood zone, all combine to prevent the inflow of commodities in the area. Between November and January, 40% of the people who migrate for labor go outside the zone in search of wage labor, the other 60% seek labor in the neighboring local towns. The majority of people go to Adigrat, Zalanbessa, and Mekelle. A few people go to Arab countries. Honey is a major product produced in the area. Honey is marketed in Adigrat and Mekelle, sold for 30 ETB per kilogram (kg). Butter is also sold for 45ETB per kg. Seasonal Calendar There are three main seasons, namely Keremti, which lasts from June to August, Kawey, from September to November, and Hagay which lasts from December to May. Land preparation is during the dry season, from March to April. Planting is timed to coincide with the onset of rain in May and June. Agriculture is 100% dependant on the Keremti rains which occur between June and August. The consumption year begins in September with the green consumption of maize and barley harvest. Dry maize and wheat are harvested in October. Cactus is consumed from June until August, providing food during this period of food scarcity. Livestock sales are restricted to shoat sales in April, September and December. Cattle are seldom sold, serving as a store of wealth that is liquidated when households encounter more difficult circumstances. The hunger season lasts from February to May. During this period, food is accessed mainly through purchases. Shoat sales, butter sales, and honey sales are important in providing the necessary income to access food. Honey sales start in May and June, subside between July and August, and then resume in September and October. Butter is sold from June to November. The very poor, and to some extent, the poor, do not own the productive assets (shoats and beehives) that provide access to these income generating products, and thus depend on the PSNP and cactus consumption to weather the hunger season. PSNP distributions provide food and cash from January to June. Chicken and egg sales also provide some income throughout the year for all wealth groups. 2

3 3 Wealth Breakdown The primary basis of wealth is the amount and type of livestock owned. The very poor do not own any livestock, the other wealth groups have mainly shoats but also a small number of cattle. Livestock are particularly important in this zone because, with poor crop production, sale of livestock and food purchases are a very important strategy for accessing household food. Livestock also provide butter and eggs which also increase household income. Oxen ownership provides draught power for land preparation. Very poor and poor households struggle to efficiently utilize their land because they do not have oxen and are forced to hand-plough their land. Because grazing land is scarce, the middle and better off loan oxen to the very poor and poor in exchange for crop residue and cactus, both of which are used as animal fodder. Main crops produced are barley, cactus, wheat, maize and lentils. Land owned is small and not very suitable for crop cultivation. To maximize the available land resources, villagers construct terraces and check dams. There is no land to rent in or sharecrop in the zone. Most household use animal manure and compost to improve soil fertility. A proportion of cactus plants are owned in this area, whilst the balance is harvested from the wild. The middle and better off own 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 modern beehives each, which earn them income from honey sales. Income is particularly important in the livelihood zone for food access because of poor crop production. The biggest constraint to productivity is the limited access to suitable farmland, frequent drought conditions, and the lack of capital to purchase fertilizer. Efforts is being put into encouraging people to get involved in off-farm income generating activities such as petty trading and youth construction cooperatives. Sources of Food A good year ( ) Purchases constitute the largest food source for all wealth groups. The main food purchased is wheat and maize. All wealth groups, except the very poor, also purchase pulses. The only non-staple food the very poor purchase is oil. Oil is also purchase by the other wealth groups. The high dependence on food purchases is particularly disconcerting given that there is no market in the zone and villagers have to travel 40km on foot to Adigrat in order to purchase food. High food purchases expose the zone to market shocks. In the graph, food access is expressed as a percentage of minimum food requirements, taken as an average food energy intake of 2100 kcals per person per day.

4 The contribution of own crop production to food intake increases from the very poor, through to the better-off, and. The main food crops produced are barley and maize. Another important source of food in this zone is cactus which is eaten regularly between June and August. It grows wild in most backyards and is also widely available in the bush. The PSNP makes an important contribution to the sustenance of the population in all wealth groups by distributing 15 kg of wheat per person per month for three months. The normal safety-net ration has been doubled in this zone to cover the acute food gap in the zone. The middle and better-off get an average 4% of food from livestock products. The main livestock products consumed are butter and eggs. There is also a limited contribution from shoat meat in these two wealth groups. Sources of Cash a good year ( ) The graph provides a breakdown of total cash income according to income source. Annual income (ETB) ,500-4,000 5,300-5,800 4 Livestock sales are the most rewarding economic activity in the zone. The income of the very poor comes from chicken sales; the poor sell chicken and shoat, while the middle and better-off income from sale of livestock come from shoat and cattle sales. The most commonly sold livestock type is shoats. Shoats are commonly sold 8 months after birth. Livestock product sales are also important in this zone. Livestock products commonly sold are honey and butter. Honey is marketed outside the zone in Adigrat and Mekelle. PSNP is an important income source for the very poor and poor. PSNP pays 6ETB per person per day for 5 working days a month. Cash distributions are carried out for three months. All groups are involved in road construction through European Union and Catholic Relief Services projects. Road construction pays 7.50ETB per person per day and makes an important contribution to incomes particularly for the poor and very poor, but all wealth groups participate in this program The income sources of the very poor and poor underscore their overall lack of productive opportunities. Beyond selling chicken and eggs, they have no income sources independent of external interventions. And data collected indicates that some of the credit may be used to cover recurrent costs rather than being invested. Expenditure Patterns a good year ( ) All wealth groups spend money on staple food purchases. Staple foods purchased are maize and wheat. Staple food purchases decline with wealth group. Staple food expenditure is the largest expense for the very poor and poor. It is the second largest expenditure for the middle and better-off. Non-staple expenditure on pulses and oil consists of an average of 5% for all wealth groups. The very poor purchase no pulses, whilst the better-off produce slightly more and so purchase less pulses than the poor and the middle. Other non-staple purchase is oil. The graph provides a breakdown of total cash expenditure according to category of expenditure.

5 Expenditure on inputs in this livelihood zone is limited to small amounts on seeds, tools, animal drugs. The very poor only spend money on seeds. The largest expenditure for the middle and better off is on other mainly livestock restocking, and modern beehives purchase. Expenditure on essential inputs declines from the better-off to the very poor. The very poor and poor invest a small amount on shoat purchase, whilst the middle and better off also invest in cattle and modern beehives. Household items are the second biggest expense for the very poor and poor. Social services (education and health) are generally minor expenditure items, accounting for between 3% and 5% of expenditure for all wealth groups. The low level of expenditure on health services reflects the poor quality of medical treatment available to the community. Hazards The chronic hazards in the livelihood zone are drought, pests and disease, as well as the border conflict with Eritrea. The border conflict prevents livestock movement to grazing land in neighboring Eritrea. It also prevents the use of closer markets in that area. The main pests attacking maize, barley and wheat are the maize stalk borer and the army worm. Main diseases are bacterial blight and powdery mildew. Frost and hail are intermittent hazards that occur once every three years. Response Strategies The coping strategies that the households employ are indicative of the severity of the crisis. The more the conditions deteriorate, the more drastic the response strategies become. Poor households are fully exploiting the food and income options open to them. As such, they are limited in their recourse in the event of a bad year. Their first response underscores the vulnerability to food shortages that characterizes the conditions found within a normal year. Their main coping strategy is to forage the bush for more cactus. Remittances from relatives who have migrated to the Arab countries is an additional income to which some have access. They also intensify the search for credit even though credit opportunities generally decrease during difficult times. The better-off have better access to productive resources and have a higher degree of self reliance. Livestock sales increase as the search for income intensifies. The sale of cattle is typically delayed until available shoats are exhausted. This is in an effort to avoid compromising wealth status and future productive capacity. The last option for the better off is to search for credit. Cactus collection from the bush is introduced when the crisis reaches a critical stage. Summary This mountainous zone that spans the kolla, woina dega and dega altitudes suffers from acute and chronic food insecurity. The severe lack of cultivable land, poor market access, and susceptibility to drought, are the main constraints to productivity. The main crops produced are barley, wheat, and maize. Cactus makes an important contribution to households food intake in all wealth. The zone has historically been food insecure and food aid has been distributed for the past 50 years. In the reference year, PSNP rations have been doubled to cover the food gap most households face. Because of very low production, access to income is very important for food purchases. Food purchases contribute between 30% and 40% of annual household food requirements for all wealth groups. However, income opportunities are scarce particularly for the very poor and poor. External assistance from PSNP and road construction projects are important. In addition, the very poor get income mainly from chicken and egg sales. The middle and better-off are in a relatively more secure position, getting over 80% of their income from livestock sales. The household credit package has provided loans for the purchase of livestock to build household resilience to the hardship faced in the zone. 5