The Importance of Legumes in the Ethiopian Farming System and Overall Economy: An Overview

Crops, livestock and trees are major components of farming systems in Ethiopia. Crop production is dominant in Ethiopian agriculture as well as in the farming system. Legumes are among the various crops produced in all regions of the country in different volumes after cereals. More than twelve legume species are grown in the country. Pulses production by volume has been increased by 71.92% for the duration of nearly 20 years and with a growth rate of 3.78% per annum. Area coverage by pulse crops for the same period grown by 53% with a growth rate of 3% per year. Total pulses grain yield, which is volume of production per unit area, showed good increment from 8.79 quintals per hectare in the cropping year 1994/1995 to 14.76 quintals per hectare in 2012/2013 cropping season. However, it is much lower compared to the potential demonstrated in research managed fields. Legumes have multiple uses. Grain legumes provide food and feed and facilitate soil nutrient management. Herbaceous and tree legumes can restore soil fertility and prevent land degradation while improving crop and livestock productivity sustainably. The pulse industry in the country has developed significantly with little intervention, and great potential exists to increase the production and impact of pulses through proactive and targeted support. The role that Ethiopia now plays in the international pulse market can be attributed to significant growth rates in pulse production over the last nearly 20 years. However, bunch of constraints and considerable gaps lean the legumes along the value-chain from production to marketing and utilization. The country needs to target the constraints and gaps to optimize the importance of legumes in the farming system and economy of the country.