Transcript The production of Eragrostis teff in Ethiopia

The production of
Eragrostis teff in Ethiopia
From seed to market
Hannah Arpke
MSc Overseas Rural Development
Country statistics:
Inhabitants: 65 million,
2.7% increase / year
Total Area: 1.12 million
sq km
Agricultural Area: 13%
cultivated, 40% pasture
Employment: 45%
agriculture, 12% industry,
43% services
Wealth status: Ranked
171st out of 174
Main exports: Coffee, live
animals, hides, gold,
oilseed, pulses and qat
Source: National Geographic
CIA World Fact Book
Main crops grown in Ethiopia
Crops grown as a percentage of total agricultural
production, 2000 (Mt)
280000
90000
135000
90000
27000
22000
45000
1600000
319509
750000
1220000
1190000
Mt
Total production: 7 844 509 MtTotal production: 7 844 509
Source:
FAO
Maize
Millet
Peas
Wheat
Oats
Beans
Sorghum
Broad beans
Lentils
Barley
Chick-pea
Soy-beans
Introduction to
Eragrostis teff (Zucc.)Trotter
Taxonomy:
 Family: Poaceae, Genus: Eragrostis
(“Love-grass”), many fodder species in
drier areas such as South Africa,
Australia and India
-34 different cultivars found in Ethiopia
-also known as Poa abyssinica,
Eragrostis abyssinica
Introduction to Eragrostis teff
History:
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Ethiopia centre of origin and diversification
Ethiopia only country to grow Teff as food
for human consumption
>66% of population relies on Teff for
nutrient supply
25% of agricultural production (1.9 mill.
ha/yr)
South Africa, Yemen, India know it as a
fodder genus/species
Introduction to Eragrostis teff
Physiology:
 Annual tufted grass
 Loose or compacted panicle flowers
 Grains 1-1.5mm, 2500-3000 seeds/kg
 C4 pathway, tetraploid
 Shallow, fibrous root system
 Tolerant to: drought, water-logging,
frost, acid/toxic soils, vertisols
Introduction to Eragrostis teff
Uses:
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Injera, bread, porrige, gruel, beer, flat
bread, high protein, mineral and vitamin
content (more than Maize, Sorghum and
Wheat)
High quality straw and hay due to higher
protein content, digestibility (65%) and
palatability; low dry matter content
Fast growing ground cover against erosion
Catch-crop, nurse-crop, fallow crop
Back-up crop in case of failure of Wheat and
Barley
Agronomy
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300-2500mm precipitation/year
1500-3000m a.s.l
Matures in 2-4 months
200-1500kg/ha, average 910kg/ha
depending on practice
Similar yield to wheat although
unimproved-great potential
Performs best on heavy, well drained
soil
Agronomy
Cultivation and sowing
 Occurs mainly March to June
 4-8 cultivations with ox-drawn wooden
plough to obtain fine till as seeds small
 Seeds broadcast at 10-12kg/ha
 Covered lightly with brush harrow to
obtain good seed-soil contact
 Quick germination yet slow growth
until roots established
Agronomy
Management
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Early manual weeding at 7-10 days after
sowing
Can outcompete weeds if rain adequate for
fast growth
Relatively resistant to most pests and
diseases
Low maintenance during growth
– Eg. Farmers in Yemen simply scatter some seed
on dry soil and return to harvest a good fodder
crop after 45 days
Agronomy
Harvest and processing
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6-10 dry days prior to harvest ideal to avoid
lodging, fungal attack and shattering
End of main rainy season, SeptemberOctober
Sickle harvest, very labour intensive
Small seed size requires gentle handling
against shattering
Threshed using cattle, who also feed on the
straw
Can be stored well for 3 years for seed, 5
years for food
Marketing
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Three distinct colour classifications
determine price:
– White, red and brown
– White most expensive (£20-35/100kg)
– Red and brown (£15-20/100kg)
High price around festive season, especially
for white Teff
Sold unprocessed, whole grain
Households process further by taking grain
to mills
Advantages vs Disadvantages
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
 Highly nutritious
 Small seed
– Shatters
 Great agronomic potential
– Easily “lost”
 Can grow in a wide
 Labour intensive
ecological range
 Need for improvement
 Tolerant to drought,
of genetic, technical
water-logging etc
and labour aspects
 Soil conservation and
rehabilitation
 Fast maturing, backup in
cases of disaster
 High market value
References:
Board on Science and Technology for International
Development (1996). Lost Crops of Africa - Vol.1Grains. National Academy Press
Gibbon, D., Pain, A. (1985). Crops of the drier regions
of the tropics. Longman
Purseglove, J.W. (1972). Tropical cropsMonocotyledons Vol. 1. Longman
Rowland, J.R.J. (1993). Dryland farming in Africa.
Macmillan Press, Ltd.
Stallkecht, G.F., Gilbertson, K.M., Eckhoff, J.L.(1993).
Teff: Food crop for humans and animals. Wiley.
under:
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/naocrop/proceedings1
993/v2-231.html