WHEAT VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS IN THREE DESTRICTS OF BALE ADMINSITRATIVE ZONE

bstract   Despite there is a high demand on wheat, Ethiopia is not self-sufficient and the country is importing to satisfy the demand. Currently, the country focuses to increase its total production of wheat to become self-sufficient in few years’ time. Achieving this goal would require identifying and addressing the key challenges that are holding back from attaining sufficient wheat production. The objective of this study were to identify the major factors that affects wheat production in three districts of Bale administrative zone; to identify the influence of storage and postharvest handling on wheat value chain to analyze training and motivation on the value chain of Wheat to analyze different factors that affects wheat value adding and marketing on wheat value chain. To achieve the objectives, a structured questioner was developed and using it, data were collected in the different districts (Sinana, Agarfa and Ginir). A total of 400 respondents were participated in the personally administered questioner survey and a high response rate of 100% was obtained. The collected data were organized in SPSS, data sheet software. The data were analyzed using SPSS. 20. Program software. Descriptive statistical methods were also used to analyses the data. Pearson Correlation coefficient was also used for the analyses the data. The study result indicated that about 58.3% of the respondent’s did not have knowledge on the application of pre- emergence herbicides a result they are not applying this practice in their wheat farming. The statistical test results indicated a significance differences in the perception of the respondents on the application of different cultural practices in improving production and productivity of wheat in the study area (P=0.000). The result further showed that almost 58.6% of the respondents do not get/received sufficient amount of inputs timely for their wheat production. About 44.8% of the respondents of the study area did not have knowledge and did not used improved wheat seeds for their production.   1