Grain legumes production and productivity in Ethiopian smallholder agricultural system, contribution to livelihoods and the way forward

Figures & data

Table 1. Mean annual global production of grain legumes from 2008 to 2017

Grain legumes	Production (tons)
Haricot beans	25,657,833
Field peas	11,691,517.3
Chickpeas	11,672,579
Cowpeas	6,498,236.8
Faba beans (Broad beans)	4,468,240.1
Lentils	4,990,522.6
Pigeon peas	4,449,435.9
Other grain legumes*	6,254,656.9
Total grain legumes	75,683,021.6

*Data for other grain legumes were determined by difference between total grain legumes production as reported by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (2019) and the total of the seven grain legumes mentioned in the above table. Source: FAO (2019).

Table 2. Ethiopia’s production of major legume crops (‘000 metric tons)

Crop/Year	2013/14	2014/15	2015/16	2016/17
Faba beans	992	839	849	855
Red kidney beans	259	312	380	355
Field peas	380	343	323	347
Chick peas	424	459	473	343
Grass peas	317	251	288	239
Lentils	159	137	134	172
White pea beans	199	202	160	123
Other grain legumes	69	57	82	109
Total	2,798	2,600	2,688	2,542

Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (2018).

Table 3. Contribution of various legume types and species to human food, livestock feed and soil fertility

Legume types	Common name	Scientific name	Food(kg ha^−1)	Feed(kg ha^−1)	Soil fertility (BNF ha^−1)
Grain, seasonal	Common bean	Phaseolus vulgaris	290-1561	760-4039	10-81
	Cowpea	Vigna unguiculata	187-3850	646-4770	21-201
	Faba bean	Vicia faba	321-6100	653-10,400	39-350
	Field pea	Pisum sativum	1314-7400	946-12,280	4-204
	Groundnuts	Arachis hypogaea	109-4540	2903-8875	12-200
	Chickpea	Cicer arietinum	472-2180	1181-5554	12-186
	Soybean	Glycine max	300-3334	1910-6821	36-165
	Mung bean	Vigna radiata	433-2171	1133-7478	20-63
	Sweet lupin	Lupinus lupins	400-2420	2300-8600	119
	White lupins	Lupinus albus	800-5798	1400-13,395	19-359
	Bambara groundnut	Vigna subterranea	311-3597	1543-2030	24-83
	Cluster bean	Cyamopsis tetragonoloba	504-2093	1214-8900	-
Grain, perennial	Pigeon pea	Cajanus cajan	530-3000	2110-10,940	6-250
Herbaceous, seasonal	Velvet bean	Mucuna pruriens	166-3090	804-10,740	30-171
	Persian Clover	Trifolium resupinatum	-	8800-17,950	37-128
	Common vetch	Vicia sativa	-	1800-10,200	46-154
	Black sunnhemp	Crotalaria ochroleuca	-	1561-15,140	-
	Lablab	Lablab purpureus	-	1707-8701	-
	Silverleaf desmodium	Desmodium uncinatum	-	514-3221	-
	Lucerne/Alfalfa	Medicago sativa	70-630	3891-23,445	38-407

Source: Muoni (2019).

Figure 1. Share of major grain legumes producing countries to global grain legumes production

Source: Ferede et al. (2014).

Figure 2. Share of major grain legume crops to global grain legumes production

Source: Ferede et al. (2014).

Figure 3. Percentage distribution of grain crop cultivated land and production in Ethiopia in 2017/2018 cropping season

Source: CSA (Central Statistical Agency) (2018).

Figure 4. Average volume of production (in 000 quintals) of top four grain legume-producing regions in Ethiopia during the last 11 years (2008–2018)

Source: Getachew (2019).

Figure 5. Trends of land size cultivated with different grain legumes in Ethiopia (in million hectares) during the production year of 2007/2008–2017/2018

Source: Getachew (2019).

Figure 6. Trends of volume of production (in million quintals) of different grain legumes in Ethiopia during the production year of 2007/2008–2017/2018

Source: Getachew (2019).

Figure 7. Protein provided by legumes per US$

Source: van den Broek et al. (2014).

Figure 8. Trends in the share of grain legumes among the selected commodities to total export earnings

Source: Ferede et al. (2014).

Figure 9. Composition of Ethiopian grain legumes export (2009/12) as computed from Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority Data

Source: Ferede et al. (2014).

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). (2019). FAOSTAT Statistical Database of the United Nation Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistical division. Rome.

 Google Scholar

USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. (2018). Pulse crops market update (Vol. ET1819). Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

 Google Scholar

Muoni, T. (2019). Integrating legumes in mixed crop-livestock systems in east Africa: Farmers’ perceptions, ecosystem services and support for decision making. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae, 52.

 Google Scholar