My name is Professor Bekele Getenet  0920226464
Q. Could you tell me when agriculture started?
A. My age is now 80. 70 years ago there was no kind of agriculture at that season.
Q. Are you at this moment living by agriculture? When and by whom was agriculture started? And for what reason was it been started?
A. It was started by seeing people farming in the area of Shashemene and its areas, before that we were only known by cattle breeding. 
Q. Did this happen before the Italians?
A. It is after the Italians that agriculture has started. In this area there are a lot of animals called “korki” there was even a “korki” park. “Korkis” are taken from here. There were not a lot of habitat here, and the ones who were here used to hunt to survive.
Q. When farming was first started what was first planted?
A. It was corn and the reason was the southern people of Welayta planted corn and we took seeds from them. And thinking that it will only grow only on their soil we even took some of their soil to plant it on.
Q. After corn what did you plant?
A. It was barley, we took the seeds of barley from Sidama, we gave them in exchange Bole and they gave us barley.     
Q. It was forbidden for them to come and take the bole, it was why they were given the seeds.
A. They were not forbidden it was us who went there with the Bole to give them and bring the barley. It was not as a payment and because between the two ethnic groups there was a conflict we were afraid and by respecting this we went with ours and comeback with theirs. Previously the conflict was because of boundaries but now the problem is solved. The conflict was of grass and water.
Q. Before corn planting, what did people in this area eat?
A. In the past what you are seeing there is Sidama “enset” and this was prepared with the stone called “Balchut” so we go to them with this stone and they give as in exchange a prepared “Worke”. This was enough for us at that time people didn’t eat a lot, there was milk and cheese and also honey therefore, much was not needed a little bread was eaten with milk. In Wolayta Zone with “Tegera” birr we exchanged corn.
Q. Where did you find the “Tegera” birr?  
A. We sold our cattle.
Q. At that time you use to exchange things with “Amole Salt” and “Balchut Stone”, did you used to exchange wives? Do you marry?
A. We Arsi people we never married with Wolayta People but we married with Sidama People.
Q. In ancient time how was your engagement done?
A. The boy and the girl never knew each other, their fathers use to search their families to do this, and also the girl's family use to give cattle to the boy's family. The cattle given were from 80 – 110 and these were taken from families and friends and this was done in a lifetime.
Q. In this area there is no river. Where do you get the water for you and the cattle?
A. For our cattle we take the water from lake Shalla and Awasssa but for us we drink from pond.  
Q. When was the pond excavated? Was it before or after the Italians?
A. It was after the Italians and it was excavated for the little cattle but now we drink from it.
Q. Do you know the person called Tuka Mama?     
A. Yes
Q. Who were they ?
A. They were a chief of Arsi. They were known as Arsi's king.
Because I want to discus a little bit about water and the lakes water being salty and far away and also about the fact that Awash is also far. Because in our area there is a lot of grass we used to cover it with a blanket and when it sucked water from the grass we used to take the blanket and twist it to get the water. 
Q. How long did the waters shortage continue? Is it now over?
A. It was for a long time but the people around here have solved this by the presence of volcano. They open the volcano and put sticks on it and put a reservoir that will collect the water that evaporates from the plant cover.
Q. Can you tell me about the conditions of rain, does it rain enough? Is there a disturbance?
A.  Yes there is a disturbance.
My name is Sibero Magone Age, 70
Q. When does the rainy season start around here?
A. In the past it starts on the month of January and it rains until April and in May it becomes sunny and starts again on June until July and in September it becomes sunny again. It rains from 4 – 5 months. At that time there were trees and grass even if there is a lot of rain it does not bring any harm. Now rain or no rain there is always harm.
Q. When did the floods start to bring harm to the soil?
A. It was at the time of Derge (DERG).
Q. Is it after or before the proclamation of land to the farmer?
A. After this proclamation deforestation occurred. Everyone took their own land after this harm was bring to water and soil.
Q. You told me that before you use to farm corn but now what else do you farm?
A. We plant other types of crops, but 80% of our culture is corn.
    My name is Aysha Genemu  Age 35
Q. Before we drink milk by changing materials with “Worke” it is said, now that there is no cattle what kind of food is there in your house?
A. Before there was “Enset” and corn, but now we eat only corn
Q. In what manners do you prepare the corn is it muffin or porridge?
A. We mix the corn with other crops and we prepare Enjira, porridge for food.
Q. Do woman farm around here?
A. If our husbands go far we even do the farming with our cattle otherwise we only help on the cultivating.
Q. What kind of problems are frequently associated with the women?
A. She has no one to help her in the house she does everything on her own, even after giving birth. And also being sick she has to manage the water problems. 
Q. How far and how many kilometers do you go in search of water?
A. We have to go up to 10 kilometers but the water is transported on donkey.
Q. How many children do you have?
A. I have 7 children my husband has 2 other wives and there is also farming.
Q. And how many children does he have there?
A. In general he has 20 children.
Q. Before you were married did you ever go to school?
A. I entered in first grade after that I didn’t continue.
Q. Do all your children go to school?
A. Two of them are learning but the other five are little.
Q. What about do you others do you learn or not?
A. No we didn’t learn. Nobody told us to go to school nobody encouraged us. When we got old we were always shepherd but some of us got basic education.
Q. When your female children go old what do you want them to be, to marry?
A. I want them to go to school and have work I have three girls and all are studying.
Q. You are wives of farmers, if ever you get divorced will you have a share on the land?
A. Based on our present life if such thing happens I will only receive the share of my children because he has other homes.
Q. How many times do you eat in a day?
A. Even if the food is complete we eat three times a day.
Q. Do you think that in this area the air, the land, the cattle has changed?
A. Even if we came soon in this area that land that you see there was a forest but because of agriculture now there is no tree, the floods are devastating the land.
This area is called Ali Woyo
And I am Professor Getnet Bekele
It is an interview with Mohammed Ahmed
July 31
Q. They have said that you are a model farmer? How did they choose you?
A. In order to improve my life I became a good farmer while I was farming they told me I was a good farmer and gave me financial support. As such I became better.
Q. How old are you? When you started farming on your own?    
A. Now it has been 15 years.
Q. How did you find a land?
A. I found it from my family I didn’t get anything from the kebele.
Q. Does your father live near here? Which one is his land?
A. His land is far and it also a little one.
Q. So whose land is this?
A. Here was a grinder of the kebele and while I was keeping it they gave it to me.
Q. How vast is it? 
A. At that time it was little but now it is (two Timad).
Q. How much is a Timad in hectare?
A. It is half an hectare.
Q. In this 15 years what do you always plant?
A. On the land I plant corn, wheat and sometimes onion and fruits and as such.
Q. How many hectares is your own land?
A. It must be 1 hectare.
Q. Who is keeping your home?
A. Because we plant together our cattle are not released so I don’t need a keeper.
Q. They say you have a water pump is it true?
A. Yes I have.
Q. What kind of problems do you farmers have if someone comes and ask you what can he do for you what will be your answer?
A. As I think people should know how we farmers work, our problem is only the plastic which conduct water the other things I can produce or even buy. But I have heard that some companies are given help. What I need is this plastic.
Q. Do you use fertilizers?
A. I do not use that on this land, I use compost but I use it on the big land.
Q. How much is the fertilizer? Is it affordable?
A. There is a lot of problem concerning that. But considering the price of our final product the price is not that much. Farmers are spending a lot, when our products are putted on the market our prices are not always accepted we often go in to debt and more of that we cannot keep in store our products.
Q. Related to this we have a problem concerning the pond we have problems concerning malaria because it is easier for the virus to populate?
A. I on my own have a big fear concerning the pond. I use medicine once a week and when I use my lamp when the viruses gather on it I spread medicine on it sometimes I do not even stay a week to do this but until now such problems never affected me.
Q. Do you spread Malatine?
A. No it is by my own experience, the government gives preventive DDT and protection shits. Some areas are greatly affected by malaria but in our area the virus seems to be weakened it has almost disappeared.
 
Thank You