Then in 1945, new crops were introduced to local farmers, which included finger millet, teff, wheat and coffee. Local elders remember "Shenqute's Famine" in 1957, locally known as Rukissa Qallo (the thin famine), when they were still pastoralists; these elders also recalled the shocks of the earthquake at Karakore in 1961. By the time of the far more severe 1984 famine, the inhabitants had shifted to a primarily agricultural lifestyle, but due to lack of rain they suffered from a shortage of food.
In 1945, new crops were introduced to local farmers, including finger millet, teff, wheat, and coffee. The elderly residents recall "Shenqute's Famine" in 1957, also known as Rukissa Qallo (the thin famine), when they were still nomadic; these elders also remember the earthquake at Karakore in 1961. By the time of the even more severe 1984 famine, the inhabitants had changed to a mainly agricultural lifestyle, but due to lack of rain, they faced a food shortage.