Exotic chicken breeds were promoted and disseminated in the rural and peri-urban parts of Ethiopia, to improve the productivity of the poultry to increase the income of farmers. The study was conducted to explore the factors affecting adoption of exotic chicken breed in Tselemti and Tahtay Koraro districts of North Western zone of Tigray region, Ethiopia. A multi-stage random sampling technique was followed to select 264 respondents from the six randomly selected Kebelles of the two districts. Primary data were collected using semi-structured interview questionnaire from the respondents. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model were used for analyzing the collected quantitative data. The results of the logit model indicates that family size, sex of the household head, education status of the household head, livestock holding size, extension contact, availability of exotic chicken breed, distance to the nearest market and availability of training on poultry production could play a significant role on the probability of exotic poultry breed adoption. Thus, the dissemination of different exotic chicken breeds needs to be supported with giving training to the farmers before intervention of the technology, extension backup on how to manage and awareness creation on the benefits of exotic chicken breed and giving focus in delivering and making available the chicks of exotic poultry breeds to the farmers.

Soybean is a drought tolerant crop which can grow from low to medium altitudes. In the lowland areas of North-Western Tigray the growing of leguminous crop is very low. To introduce soybean commodity in North-western Tigray, demonstration of improved soybean varieties were conducted in 2018/19. The trail was conducted at Tahtay Adyabo and Tselemti Districts that have a potential for growing the soybean. It was conducted by selecting three Kebelles from the districts. A total of 35 farmers were involved in the intervention. The necessary training was given to the participant farmers and experts. Following this improved seed of Awassa-95 and Gizo varieties at Tahtay Adyabo Districts, and Wegayen and Gizo seed at Tselemti District were offered to participant farmers. Each farmer have been planted a plot size of 0.02 ha for each of the two varieties. The descriptive result shows, Awassa-95 soybean variety has given significantly higher yield at Tahtay Adyabo as compared to Gizo variety. The variety was gave an average yield of 1067 kg/ha and 570 kg/ha respectively Awassa-95 and Gizo varieties. On the other hand an average yield of 1231 kg/ha and 1052 kg/ha, respectively was obtained for Gizo and Wegayen varieties at Tselemti District. This shows that Tselemti District is more better for the cropping of Gizo variety. Moreover, the improved soybean verities (Gizo at Tselemti district and Awassa-95 at Tahtay Adyabo district) were found to be early maturing and best option to moisture stressed areas for the society protein source. Based on the result it is recommended to be popularize Awassa-95 soybean variety at Tahtay Adyabo District and Gizao soybean varieties at Tselemti District to large farmers. Therefore, the research center and the office of agriculture and rural development of the Districts to be popularized the varieties to large number farmers of the areas.

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This study identifi es the main determinants of milk production in Northwestern and Western zone of Tigray region using both secondary and primary data sources collected through survey, KII and FGD. The cross-sectional data type has collected during 2018 from 309 smallholder dairy cattle keeper farmers randomly selected following multistage sampling technique. It has so found that the average milk yield obtained per cow per day was 2.53 and 3.3 3Lt; milked for the average number of 27 and 26 days per month for the average number of 6.3 and 6.4 months. So that the total produced amount of milk was 1166.25Lt and 2291.29Lt per household, respectively for Tahtay adiyabo and Kafta humera districts. Applying multiple linear regression analysis, the major determinants of milk yield in Tahtay adiyabo district are; number of months that collected/concentrated feed has provided for dairy cows, education level of the household head, place where milk has sold and loan obtained especially for dairy production. These variables have positive and signifi cant relationship. While, variables such as distance of cattle farm from local market, total family size and marital status of the household head has signifi cant and negative relationship. Similarly, in Kafta humera district the determinant factors are; number of months that collected feed provided, occurrence of cattle pests and diseases, education level of household head and experience in cattle rearing has signifi cant and positive relationship. While, variables such as sex of the household head, distance of water source that dairy cattle travel and extension contact in livestock production has signifi cant and negative relationship with milk yield obtained. Based on these fi ndings this study recommends that, capacity building; organizing smallholder farmers by nearby and establish functional milk and its product supplying cooperatives. It is also important that dairy cows should provide concentrated and collected feed; introduction of improved forages with intensive protection from cattle diseases and pests as well as improving access to drinking water source in nearby are important.