Rainfall variability and crop production in Ethiopia Case study in the Amhara region

Ethiopian agriculture is mostly rainfed, whereas inter-annual and seasonal rainfall variability is high and droughts are frequent in many parts of the country. Rainfall variability has historically been a major cause of food insecurity and famines in the country. Surprisingly, however, the relationships between rainfall variability and fluctuations in agricultural production at regional and sub-regional scales have not been studied in detail. The objective of this study was to analyze rainfall variability and trends, and examine vulnerability of food grain production to rainfall variability in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.