Wolqayt

Wolqayt (also Welqayt , Wolkait, Walkait, Uolcait, etc.; Ge'ez alphabet |Ge'ez] ወልቃይት ጠገዴ welḳāyt or wolḳāyt, IPA: [wɔlkʼayt]) is the woreda and region in north west Tigray. This Woreda (region) is bordered on the northwest and north by Qafta Humera Ge'ez ቃፍታ ሑመራ, then separated on the part of the eastern border is along the Tekezé River.

Overview

These western part of Tigray region produce such crops as cotton, oil seeds, pulses, sesame, corn, millet, and sorghum valued in millions of dollars, and provided employment opportunities for millions of Ethiopians. If we take Humera, for example, it contains one of the best alluvial soils in the whole of Ethiopia. In the 1960s and 1970s, Humera became the second largest cotton producing region in Ethiopia next to the Awash Valley, and banks pumped millions of dollars in loans. Semi-mechanized, some 1,000 tractors were also deployed. Agricultural production was successful that for each dollar invested, the value of increase in crop production was $5.00. The labor force also increased from 13,000 in 1964, to 300,000 in 1972. Workers came from all over Ethiopia including Eritrea, Shoa, Gojjam, and Tigrai.

Before the 1930, these areas have been administered under Tigrai lords (Rases and mesafints) along with the majority of Raya which are now part of the Amhara region because the current generation of southern Raya starting from kobo has through time changed to Amharic-speaking population (since its incorporation during the Atse Haileselassie reign). However, historical evidence such as a book by Manoel Barradas, a missionary who visited Tigrai in 1624, in his book entitled "Tractatus Tres Historico-Geographici" (1634) states that these areas have been under Tigrai rulers. He states it clearly in his book and has presented map of Tigrai of that period. Besides, a book prepared during the dergue regime entitled "Class Struggle and the Problem in Eritrea" (1971 E.C.? or end of 1970s) also indicates those areas (Wolkait, Tsegedie and Humera) under Tigringa-speaking boundary. Specifically, these 1970s map by the dergue indicates that these areas are bordered by Kunama in the north, Amhara in the south and Sudan in the west, their Eastern part being with no boundary because they speak the same language as Tigrai.

The great majority of the people of Humera, Wolkait -tsegedie and Tselemti speak Tigringa while there are few Amharic speakers. However, since it has been a high cottone production area, the labour force has been highly diversified and mixed from different parts of the country.

Agriculture

A sample enumeration performed by the CSA in 2001 interviewed 24,417 farmers in this woreda, who held an average of 0.99 hectares of land. Of the 24,286 hectares of private land surveyed, over 86.69% was in cultivation, 1.27% pasture, 10.37% fallow, 0.03% in woodland, and 1.65% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 63.29% was planted in cereals, 4.19% in pulses, 18.24% in oilseeds, and 0.17% in vegetables is missing. The area planted in gesho was 25 hectares; the area in fruit trees is missing. 79.64% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 10.96% only grew crops and 9.4% only raised livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 73.93% owning their land, 25.09% renting, and 0.98% reported as holding their land under other forms of tenure.[1] The intensive agriculture is necessary to feed people of the region due to the burgeoning human population, but continuing conversion of natural lands to agriculture is taking a toll on biodiversity in the area.

Sugar industry

The Ethiopian government has decided to build several can sugar mills. One of them is being built in the Wolkait region.[2]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Central Statistical Authority of Ethiopia. Agricultural Sample Survey (AgSE2001). Report on Area and Production - –Tigray (read Amhara) Region. Version 1.1 - December 2007" (accessed 26 January 2009)
  2. ↑ http://theafricareport.com/index.php/news-analysis/ethiopia-injects-us$4-billion-into-sugar-factories-50177916.html The Africa report, retrieved on 13 July 2012

Coordinates: 13°45′N 37°20′E / 13.750°N 37.333°E / 13.750; 37.333

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