It is well recognized that crop production in Ethiopia is highly dependent on rainfall during belg and summer (kremt)—the leading two harvest periods. The main crops grown in various areas are barley, oats, lentil, and chickpea, among others.
Taking this into account,The Ethiopian Herald talked to Mengistu Tufa, an agriculturalist graduated from Dilla University, to solicit ample information about the activities undertaken, especially during Belg and Summer (Kiremt), in relation to crop production and economic growth.
He said, “Yes, ‘Belg production’ in Ethiopia refers to the agricultural output during the “Belg” season, which is a shorter rainy period in the country, typically occurring from February to April, where farmers cultivate crops like barley, teff, wheat, pulses, and some oilseeds, contributing significantly to nation’s overall food security, particularly in the northern and eastern highlands where the Belg rains are crucial for crop production.”
As to him, the very thing that needs to be taken into account is that Ethiopia’s crop agriculture is complex, involving substantial variation in crops grown across the country’s different regions and ecologies. Thus, both raising production levels and reducing its variability are essential aspects of improving food security in the country, both to help ensure adequate food availability, as well as to increase household incomes.
“Crop agriculture in general and the cereals sub-sector in particular are being widely practiced across the nation but with a range of drawbacks. Since Belg is the short rainy season, in belg dependent areas farmers usually sow barley with the first rain. Harvest of the crop is in June/July. If a belg crop cannot be sown before mid-March it becomes highly unlikely that there will be a normal harvest as the kiremt rains from July onwards, frost and unfavorable ripening conditions usually destroy much of the crop. The typical belg dependent areas are usually – but not exclusively,” Mengistu said.
Unfortunately, the belg rains are again significantly late in commencing, and the delay has prevented the planting of belg crops, long duration cereals (maize and sorghum) and is delaying land preparation operations for the meher season crops. This was attributed to, among other factors, the depletion of the asset base of people due to the cumulative effects of consecutive and prolonged dry spells compounded by a decline in effectiveness of traditional coping strategies.
The shortage of food, seeds and animal feed are the urgent issues requiring attention and should be addressed systematically. If this fail, as the local officials, farmers and this mission agree, the situation may deteriorate leading to social and economic disruption, the further depletion of basic assets, stress migration and a toll on the health and well-being of people and animals. Relief food distributions taking place in the areas visited were not only considered by officials to be inadequate but also delayed in time with gaps up to a month in some places, a fact that clearly reduces the likely nutritional impact of the assistance.
Basically, it is felt that any intervention meant for re-afforestation should have been done some thirty years back when there was more forest cover and less soil erosion and moisture stress problems for better survival rates of whatever was planted. Today it is too difficult, perhaps too late to reverse the situation. A fundamental lesson one could draw from this environment disaster is that other relatively forested areas of the country, like the west and southwest are also on the verge of facing the same fate.
Understandably, an erratic, uneven distribution and inadequate rainfall is the main factor contributing to the problem. Under such a situation it is more acceptable and practical to go for enclosure of the indigenous bushes and tree species giving them a chance to revive by minimizing any human interference.
The current food security situation in belg dependent areas of the region is improving due to good belg season. Many poor households are gradually re-engaging in income-generating activities despite continued movement restrictions; however, the broader economic slowdown has placed substantial limits on their capacity to earn income.
Some of the control measures that the government has implemented to slow the spread of the virus, include closing international and domestic borders and schools, limiting domestic transportation services, and banning public gatherings. These control measures remain in place and broadly unchanged since its announcement.
While the populace has increasingly disregarded these measures, poor households’ capacity to earn income and produce food remains compromised. The government has put in place measures to prioritize the food trade activities and implementing price controls, however, some traders have pulled out for fear of contracting the viral pandemic resulting in further price hikes.
These unintended effects of the containment measures are limiting food access for poor households that rely on daily employment opportunities. The Ministry of Agriculture along with development partners has been well running a lot of projects revolving around Belg crop production.
Responding to the question ‘What happens during Belg season?, Mekonnen said that farmers clear and till their fields, crops are sown in March and April, crops are harvested from May to June, rains help replenish pasture and drinking water, rains help develop coffee crop inflorescence.
As far as the query ‘How does the Belg season vary, ins concerned, he said that rainfall is highly variable and high maximum temperatures are common, sometime, the Belg rains have been erratic, arriving late or failing altogether in most regions. This has led to poor harvests and negative impacts on livestock.
He further stated that Ethiopia does have the February–May rainfall season, locally known as Belg, contributes up to 40% of the annual rainfall over northeastern, central and southwestern Ethiopia. Its contribution exceeds 50% over southern and southeastern Ethiopia.
The Belg season is characterized by significant inter-annual and intra-seasonal variability. Interactions between extra tropical and tropical systems across the Red Sea region play a major role in modulating the rainfall pattern during this season.
A ridge/trough pattern, featuring two anomalous mid- to upper-level warm anticyclones and one cold cyclonic trough in the region between the northeast Atlantic and the Arabian Peninsula, tends to suppress the Belg rainfall due to reduced tropical–extra tropical interactions. In contrast, a tri-pole structure with two anomalous mid- to upper-level cold cyclonic troughs and one warm anticyclone tends to enhance rainfall during the Belg season of Ethiopia.
During the Belg season in Ethiopia, significant planting activities take place across various regional states, including cereal crops, pulses crops, and oil crops. This period marks a crucial time for farmers to prepare their lands and sow seeds for these essential crops, which contribute significantly to the country’s agricultural output and food security.
Cereal crops, such as teff, wheat, barley, and maize, are commonly planted during the Belg season. These crops play a vital role in providing staple foods for the Ethiopian population and are integral to the country’s agricultural economy. In addition to cereal crops, pulses crops are also planted during the Belg season like lentils, chickpeas, haricot beans, among others.
BY MENGESHA AMARE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 14 MARCH 2025
