FARM HOUSEHOLDS’ TYPOLOGY: IMPLICATIONS FOR TECHNOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS IN THE RICE ENVIRONMENT IN FOGERA PLAIN, ETHIOPIA

The rice-based agricultural system in the Fogera Plain exhibits considerable heterogeneity across its ecosystem.This study aims to develop a farm typology that categorizes rice farms into distinct groups to facilitate targeted technological interventions.Using multivariate data mining techniques-Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA)-data were collected from 230 farm households based on biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics.PCA identified five principal components explaining 62.7% of the total variance, with the first two components accounting for 44%.Cluster analysis delineated five farm types: Input-based Rainfed (FTP1), Off-farm Income-dependent (FTP2), Irrigationbased (FTP3), Livestock-based (FTP4), and Small and Marginal Rainfed-Based (FTP5).Notably, FTP3 and FTP4 utilized the highest proportions of irrigation water (26% and 21%), while FTP5 and FTP2 had the lowest water use (14% and 11%).The findings give emphasis to the need for developing small-scale irrigation infrastructure, especially for FTP5 and FTP2, to mitigate water shortages and enhance rice productivity.Therefore, the use of the identified farm-type-specific character may facilitate the adoption of farm-type-specific technologies and aid in the creation of an environment that is suitable for policy insights and extension services, thereby enabling more efficient and sustainable.