TRADITIONAL FOOD PROCESSING PRACTICES OF OATS ( Avena sativa ) AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO FOOD SECURITY IN GOZAMIN DISTRICT OF NORTHWEST ETHIOPIA
Oat is one of the cereal crops in Ethiopia, which is less recognized in terms of its food value and productivity. It is grown and utilized as a staple food only in a specific part of the country. The objective of this study was to assess the food significance of oat and document associated tradition...
Saved in:
| Published in: | African journal of food, agriculture, nutrition, and development : AJFAND Vol. 21; no. 5; pp. 18083 - 18100 |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Rural Outreach Program
01-06-2021
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Oat is one of the cereal crops in Ethiopia, which is less recognized in
terms of its food value and productivity. It is grown and utilized as a
staple food only in a specific part of the country. The objective of
this study was to assess the food significance of oat and document
associated traditional food knowledge of the crop in Gozamin district,
Northwest part of Ethiopia. Data were collected using a semi-structured
questionnaire, focus group discussion and key informant interviews.
Secondary data collected from Gozamin agriculture development offices
and research centers were used to support our results. A total of 388
households participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were
edited, coded, entered and analyzed using SPSS for windows version
20.0. The results of this study affirmed that 97.2% of the producers
cultivated oat every year and high rainfall is the suitable weather
condition for its production. As per the results of this study, oat is
tolerant to acidic and marginally fertile soils where other plants do
not grow and yield well. As compared to other conventional cereal
crops, 85% of the participants of the study reported that the
cultivation of oat does not require extensive farming and can be
produced with minimum inputs. The entire population of respondents
(100%) reported that oat grain was used as food. Almost all the
respondents (99.2%) utilized oat as their staple crop for their
families. Oat ranked first in terms of consumption at household level
as compared to other cereal crops (tef, maize, wheat, and barley). In
the district, oat is processed into different food types and beverages
including injera, kitta/anababiro, gruel, porridge, enket, and local
alcoholic drinks, tella. Oat is rarely used to prepare porridge and
local alcoholic beverages as compared to other cereal-based staple food
types. Porridge and local alcoholic beverages are commonly prepared for
special occasions and on holidays. Oat is a less known crop in specific
locations but could contribute to enhancing food diversity options to
improve food and nutrition security efforts in the country. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1684-5358 1684-5374 1684-5374 |
| DOI: | 10.18697/ajfand.100.19810 |