Fisheries and Aquaculture Journal
Open Access
ISSN: 2150-3508
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2150-3508
+44 1478 350008
Assefa Tessema, Nuria Abdurohman and KS Goudar
The survey was conducted in May 2012 at Amrach and Santie villages in Kemissie. The objectives of the study were to assess challenges and opportunities of people involved in mattress production and their level of knowledge for sustainable utilization of Typha latifolia and Cyprus species from Chefa wetland. The villages were selected purposely and a total of 60 households were selected for interview randomly, 30 from each villages. In addition to questionnaires Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) was used. The average age of mattress makers were 37 and 31 at Amrach and Santie respectively. Majority of the mattress makers, 76.7% at Amrach and 60% at Santie were female that indicate the profession has significant contribution for livelihood especially for women. The average monthly production of mattress at Amrach was higher (86) than Santie (23) because most of the people involved in mattress production at Amrach have no other livelihood means unlike the people at Santie. The average net income from mattress was 928 and 227 for Amrach and Santie respectively. There is high demand for mattress market at Kemissie, Dessie and Haik, however there is shortage of these raw materials, Typha latifolia and Cyprus species used for making mattress due to the presence of high demand by different stakeholders, pastoralists specially in dry season used as feed for their animals, making their shelter, the local people used for ceremonial purpose and making shelter. As the result the people involved in mattress production are forced to go more than 10 kilo meter per day to collect these plants and hence produce less mattresses per month and hence low income. Therefore awareness creation training should be given for stakeholders to promote sustainable utilization of these plants collected from Chefa wetland and improving income of mattress makers.