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Enhancing Garlic Production in Ethiopia

This document introduces a project to design a manually-operated garlic planter for Ethiopian farmers. Currently, garlic planting in Ethiopia is done manually using basic tools, which requires significant labor and results in non-uniform planting. The objectives of the project are to design a single-row garlic planter that reduces costs and increases yields through more efficient planting. The scope involves detailed design analysis and component design in Solidworks. The significance is that it would benefit farmers through lower costs and higher profits, create jobs, and increase garlic production and exports from Ethiopia.

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Mikias Tewachew
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8 views3 pages

Enhancing Garlic Production in Ethiopia

This document introduces a project to design a manually-operated garlic planter for Ethiopian farmers. Currently, garlic planting in Ethiopia is done manually using basic tools, which requires significant labor and results in non-uniform planting. The objectives of the project are to design a single-row garlic planter that reduces costs and increases yields through more efficient planting. The scope involves detailed design analysis and component design in Solidworks. The significance is that it would benefit farmers through lower costs and higher profits, create jobs, and increase garlic production and exports from Ethiopia.

Uploaded by

Mikias Tewachew
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

CHAPTER ONE

1. introduction
Garlic (Allum sativan Linn) belonging to the onion family, has long been recognized all over the
world as a valuable condiment for foods. It is also popular for remedy or medicine for various
ailments and physiological disorders. Garlic has been cultivated for thousands of years in the
world which is native to Central Asia where it originated 5200 years ago. Ethiopia Garlic is
popular in the local and export markets. The raw fresh Ethiopia Garlic bulbs come from family
growers in the country. They contribute 95% of the whole garlic national produce. Ethiopia
exported 138,000 metric tons of garlic which was worth $420,000 in 2020. They only produce 16
tons of garlic crop from a single hectare in the good season by using spades and garden forks
which is not a mechanized practice. [Selina Mawucci, 2020]
Ethiopia garlic production is still relatively low because of a lack of improved varieties. Because
of absence of mechanized planting, garlic planting is done manually. Traditionally, the garlic
sowing is performed by dibber. The seeds (cloves) are put in the holes made by hand and
covered with a thin layer of soil. Man power requirement is very high for the garlic planting in
traditional methods, which, requires about 60 to 65 men for sowing one hectare in one day
because row and plant spacing in garlic is very narrow, in which the garlic cloves are sown in
well prepared soil at a depth of 5 cm with seed to seed spacing of 7.5 cm. Row-to-row spacing is
kept at 10 to 15 cm. [Brajesh et al, 2014].

Fig 1: land preparation and manual planting of garlic cloves in furrow


In The sowing of garlic by traditional method, Due to requirement of high number of labors, crop
sowing is delayed in most of the cases. The standard or required spacing between row-to-row
and plant-to plant and depth of planting is not uniform. In manual planting for larger areas,
condition like soil moisture also change rapidly and it is not easy to hire the large number of
labourers for the planting of garlic. Planting of garlic cloves in adverse condition will affect its
germination which will ultimately affect the yield. Due to these reasons if the crop is delayed, the
garlic will not fetch good price in the market.
Garlic Planter is mechanized farming machinery designed and developed to perform planting of
garlic seeds with regular spacing in a row and at regular depth. A manually operated garlic
planter has been developed by Garg and Dixit in 1998 G.C. Two men are required one for
pulling and another for supplying the seeds. This planter does not have seed covering device, as
such, the germination was not very good. It has also been reported that sowing depth is not
uniform. The capacity of the seed hopper is only 3 kg due to which it requires frequent filling.
On the same principle, Singh and Yadav (2000) also developed a manually operated garlic
planter.
According to studies, the single-row manually operated garlic planter which has been started by
Garg and Dixit, consists of a planting mechanism and a hopper mounted over a vertical disc with
spoons on its face. The field capacity of the planter ranged between 0.03–0.04 ha.h-1. It was
highly labor-saving equipment as it required only about 83 man-h. ha-1 in comparison to
520man-h. ha-1 with traditional practice. (Garg et al., 1998).
In Ethiopia mechanization of agriculture is still in an early stage. Under intensive cropping,
timelines of operation is one of the most important factors which can only be achieved if
appropriate use of agricultural machines is advocated. To achieve the best productivity of the
crop, mechanized agricultural types of machinery should be used. due to its reduction of labor
demand, uniform rate of production, simplicity, less time consumption and high yield of
productivity with low cost the machine should be used and distributed in Ethiopia.
1.1 Statement of the problem
Garlic has higher nutritional and medical value as well as a higher demand in the market. But
still now a day most of farmers in Ethiopia depend on traditional method of production to
produce garlic. taking the case of traditional planting system which involves manual planting, it
requires high labor force, stressful for planters, time consuming and non-uniform planting depth
and plant spacing which makes the production system results a small yield. So, these production
methods are not effective in terms of cost, yield and rate of production. That is why
mechanization is required in the garlic planting system. There were attempts to solve this
problem by developing a garlic planter machine both tractor driven and manual. But we find out
that Tractor driven machines are not much applicable in Ethiopia since most of the farmers have
no tractors and they are not economically able to buy. on the other hand, geographical position
and most of the countries agricultural land is owned by small scale farmers with small plots of
land our project tries to design effective garlic planter machine which can be applicable in all
geographical position and can address all economic levels of the societies that can boost the
production of garlic as well as the profit from the production.
1.2 Objective of the project
1.2.1 General Objectives
The general objective of the project is to design a single row hand garlic planter which is
applicable for all farmers that can reduce cost of production and boost yield and rate of
production.
1.2.2 Specific Objectives
 To make detail design analysis of all the components of the machine
 To design all the components by using the design analysis
 To design the complete assembly of hand garlic planter machine by using all the designed
components.
 To determine the overall cost required to produce the machine
1.3 Scope of The Project
The extent of this project is mainly to design a manually operating garlic planter by taking the
case of Ethiopian farmers as a main consideration. It constitutes the detail design analysis or
calculations of each individual components of the machine. And also, it includes the design of all
the individual components and assembly of the machine using solid work software. and it covers
also the overall cost analysis of the project.
1.4 Significance of The Project
The successful completion and implementation of this project will benefit:

 The farmers since it will make them to be able to use their agricultural land effectively with a
minimal labor cost and boosted production capacity leading to higher profit from the
production. In addition, it will minimize the physical pain on the farmers that may happen
due to a prolonged manual planting with uncomfortable condition.
 It will create a job opportunity for the peoples during manufacturing and also for
merchants.
 It also creates a job for youths in such a way that the small-scale enterprises may use
sowing by using this machine as a source of income.
 The government by saving a foreign currency that would have been used to import garlic
planting machine as these machines are produced with in the country.
 It will benefit the country as a source of income due to export since, it increases the yield.

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The specific design objectives for the single-row hand garlic planter include conducting a detailed design analysis of all machine components, using the analysis to design the components, and assembling the complete machine using Solid Works software. The design aims to reduce production costs, boost yield and planting rate, and be applicable for small-scale farmers with limited resources. This approach addresses the economic constraints and diverse geographic conditions faced by Ethiopian farmers, aiming to improve productivity and minimize labor demands .

Traditional garlic planting in Ethiopia relies heavily on manual labor, requiring about 60 to 65 men per hectare per day due to narrow spacing requirements. This method results in high labor costs, delayed sowing, non-uniform planting depth and spacing, and subsequently, lower yields. Mechanization, such as the introduction of manually operated garlic planters, can significantly reduce labor demands (to about 83 man-hours per hectare compared to 520 with traditional methods), ensure uniform planting depth and spacing, and increase overall crop yield and efficiency .

The manually operated garlic planter differs from traditional methods by mechanizing the planting process, reducing the labor requirement from 520 man-hours to 83 man-hours per hectare. It features a planting mechanism and a hopper, significantly saving labor and time. This system ensures more uniform planting, improving germination rates and yields, and is designed to be economically accessible and adaptable to small-scale farmers in various geographic conditions. These features aim to increase productivity and reduce the physical burden on farmers .

Manual planting methods often lead to non-uniform planting depth and spacing, causing inconsistent germination and lower overall yields compared to mechanized planting methods. Mechanization, such as using a garlic planter, ensures consistent planting conditions, uniform depth, and spacing, resulting in improved germination rates, plant health, and higher yields. Additionally, mechanized methods reduce labor costs and enable timelier planting, further enhancing yield potential .

Traditional mechanized garlic planters are unsuitable for Ethiopian farmers primarily due to economic and geographic factors. Many farmers lack the financial means to purchase expensive tractor-driven machinery. Moreover, the country's agricultural landscape is dominated by small-scale plots, making large machinery impractical. These limitations necessitate affordable, simple, and adaptable equipment, such as the manually operated garlic planter, which can manage small plots efficiently while lowering the cost and labor associated with planting .

Design considerations for the garlic planter should include adaptability to diverse terrains and soil types across Ethiopia, ease of use for farmers with minimal technical skills, and affordability to ensure economic accessibility. The machine must also be durable to withstand local environmental conditions and require minimal maintenance. Additionally, the planter should be compact, allowing operation on small plots typical in Ethiopian agriculture, without compromising efficiency and planting accuracy .

The development of a manual garlic planter can positively impact youth employment by creating opportunities in manufacturing, sales, and maintenance sectors related to the machine. It also enables young entrepreneurs to establish small-scale agricultural service businesses using the planter, which could serve multiple farm plots. Moreover, improved productivity from efficient planting may increase demand for related agricultural services, further facilitating job growth in rural economies .

Challenges in implementing garlic planter technology on a wide scale in Ethiopia include financial constraints among farmers to invest in even low-cost machinery, limited access to credit facilities, and potential resistance to changing traditional farming practices. Infrastructure limitations, such as inadequate transportation networks, can hinder distribution and support services. Training and support for farmers to effectively use new technology and maintain machinery is crucial, requiring investment in capacity-building initiatives .

Mechanically operated garlic planters could lower production costs and increase yields, boosting farmers' incomes and profits. Additionally, the reduction in labor requirements could decrease the physical strain on workers and enhance land use efficiency. Employment may arise through manufacturing the planters and in enterprises utilizing this technology for outsourced planting services. The mechanization also has the potential to reduce Ethiopia's reliance on imported machinery, saving foreign currency, and potentially increasing garlic exports by bolstering production, thereby supporting the national economy .

Producing garlic planter machines domestically offers several advantages: it reduces dependency on imports, saving foreign currency; stimulates local job creation in manufacturing; and aligns designs closely with local conditions and farmer needs. Additionally, local production can enable quicker distribution to farmers and potentially lower costs, as locally-sourced materials and labor may be cheaper than imports. This supports the economy and infrastructure development, promoting long-term sustainability in agricultural mechanization efforts .

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