The drought-prone areas of the country are largely areas of chronic food insecurity.rnProduction-based entitlements supplemented by creation of mechanisms of food access isrnconsidered as the major instruments of attaining food security in the rural developmentrnand food security strategies of the country. To this effect the diffusion of modem inputsrnand expansion of agricultural services and soil and water conservation activities arernrelatively widely employed. Moreover, the enhancement of alternative employmentrnopportlmities is emphasized. Nevertheless, there is permanently a low food productionrncapacity and chronic food insecurity in such areas.rnThis study aims at examining and estimating the determinants of food securityrnperceptions and own food production capacities of sample households from AhferomrnWereda of Region Tigray. The households are asked about the number of months theyrncan cover their annual need from their yearly income/production. They are also requestedrnabout the amount of crop they produced in two consecutive years of 2001 and 2002rnwhich is also changed into its calories equivalent and the number of months it can meetrnthe minimum calories requirement of the household is computed. Various socioeconomic,rntechnological and environmental factors are identified and their effects onrnyield, perception of food security status and own food production of the households havernbeen analyzed. For this, cross tabulation of means and percentages are employed. Finally,rntwo linear econometric models are formulated to statistically estimate the outcomes.rnThe findings of the study indicate that the households have low production capacity andrnfood security status due to various socio-economic and environmental factors . Thernaverage month that households perceived that their income/production can sufficientlyrncover their requirement is 5.23 months. The computed own produced food was ab le torncover 3.81 and 3.48 months of their minimum calories requirement respectively in 2001rnand 2002. Both food security perception and food production are inversely related withrnfamily size, dependency ratio, female head of household, past famine experience, rainfallrnshortages, terrace construction, and getting access to loan. Both are also positivelyrnaffected by factors such as farm assets, male head of households, involvement in off-farmrnactivities and literacy of head of household. Some factors such as access to extensionrnservice, being in highland, employment in non-farm and food for work have inversernrelation with food production but direct relation with that of food security perception.rnMoreover, application of improved seeds could not be helpful in food production whilernapplication offertilizer and either chemical are positive, though insignificantly.rnGenerally, the ~Q.lQgies-and...agcicu-ltuFa.I-ser.y.ie8s-.ool~l d-Ro.~l.ell2ful ill incre~grnI1roductivit du~o....lar.gel In gJ;.o~ecolQgiG pro e an.9. iteracy of the peasantÂ·rnRspecially, terracing, access to loan and extension service particularly to-the"TIliiefate arernassociated with lower yields and food production capacity. The literate is relatively in arnbetter position of getting an advantage from extension service, getting relatively higherrnyields, using employment opportunities and food security perceptions.