Integration of Coffee with food Production: A Case of Producers' Cooperatives in Manna 'Wereda

Abstract

Induced by national development objectives, cooperatives in coffee growing areas are subject to conflicting activities On the one hand, they are w'ged to expand coffee productiotl. and on the other, food shortage and inadequate external supply force them to give priority to food self-sufficiency of tbe members. In view of tbis situation, an urgent need is felt to provide the newly emerging coffee growing cooperatives with economic planning procedures. Towards this end, this paper attempts to develop a suitable model for establishing and analyz.ing optimal plans for different types of co·operatives. ' The results indicate that the existing production pattern is sub·optimal and need adjustments in order to yield higb and to achieve food selj-sufficiency, Optimal cropping plans differ from one type of cooperative to another, If! general, the study sheds light on the importance of efficient resource utilization twitb tbe complement of improved technology to, overcome the fJrohlem self-sufficiency as well as low cash incomes