Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), a staple cereal in Ethiopia (known as Dagusa), offers high nutrition, climate resilience, and extended shelf life. Despite its potential for expanded production, traditional postharvest practices in Ethiopia rely on animal trampling and manual labor. This study investigated challenges of these practices in Amhara, Ethiopia, to inform the development of adaptable and efficient threshing and pearling technologies. Participatory rural appraisal approach is used to structure questionnaires administered to 92 farmers in four farmers’ associations. The analysis revealed a typical farmer profile: male-headed households (41–60 years old) with 3–5 children, with the majority (66.3%) being experienced farmers (21–40 years old), primarily cultivating the Necho variety. Production areas ranged from 0.75 to 1.25 hectares, with annual yields averaging 11–20 quintals. Sun drying was the dominant drying method, taking 40–80 days. The survey shows traditional threshing and pearling as the most labor-intensive processes, requiring multiple days, extended work hours, involvement of multiple cattle, and both paid and unpaid labor. Cleaning, while less time-consuming, still relied on manual labor, often involving family members. Notably, child labor participation (5–15 years old) was prevalent, with 46.4% being female, across all processes. The findings highlight the urgent need for mechanization interventions to improve the livelihoods of farmers in Ethiopia.