IMPACT OF EDUCATION ON AGRIC LTURAL PRODUCTIVITY: THE CASE OF TEFF PRODUCTION IN TWO RURAL COMMUNITIES IN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Low level of education is cOllsidere(1 to be one of the
explaining Jactors for poor agricultural productivity. The objecti\'e of this
paper is to empirically determine the effect oj education 0 11 agricfllwral
(Tefl) productivity and to examine cOllditions under which education
exhibits significant impact 011 productivity. The study is based a ll data
gathered from a tolal sample of 239 hOllseholds ill two cOlllllllmities - SirbaGodetti
(95 hOl/seholds) located ill East Shewa alld Slwmsheha cOlllmull ity
(144 households) located ill North Wollo.
A Cobb-Douglass productioll f"l/clioll was employed to allalyze the dara.
The results of the analysis indicated that formal allli "aI/formal educatioll
have significant and positive impact 0 11 Teff productivity. The resulls also
showed that agricullllral technology and agroecology affect Teff
productivity. The implication drawn by the study emphasizes the importallce
of strengthening hUn/an capital, particularly farmers' access (0 primlllY
education, alld strellgthening fa rmers' access to improved agriculfllral
technologies .