DETERMINANTS OF FOOD INSECURITY STATUS OF RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN DALE WOREDA, SIDAMA REGIONAL STATE

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to assess the determinants food insecurity status of rural households in Dalle Woreda, Sidama Regional State. For this study both primary and secondary data were used. Questionnaire survey, key informants interview, focus group discussions and direct observation were employed to collect the primary data. The study used 160 households' from 3 Kebele’s were selected by using simple random sampling technique. The data collection instruments were questionnaire survey and the questionnaire both closed and open-ended questions covered issues related to households' demographic characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used for data analysis and the later included descriptive statistics and regression modeling. The survey results showed that the majority 112(70%) of the sampled households' experienced food insecurity at different level. The low level of productivity of food insecure households’ was related with mainly low land size of HHs was 0.26-0.5 hectares which could be one of the factors for poor production. Then also problems on used agricultural inputs and received extension services due to weakness on the behalf of stakeholders an implementation, evaluation and collaboration of extension services workers, high family size, and unable to use modern irrigation system. Binary Logistic regression results showed that four variables were found to have a significant impact on determining the status of food insecurity at less than 10 percent of the probability level. These variables include literacy status of household head, family size, household participation on extension packages and size of cultivated land. On the basis of the main empirical findings of the study, the following recommendation were forwarded to enhance household food security in the study area; improve the provision of credit facilities, encourage extension programs, expanding family planning programs,, increasing crop productivity and diversifying income sources have been recommended to the government bodies, donors and households' themselves to ensure household food security.