Analysis of tef market chain: evidence from South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Dera is one of the potential districts in teff production. Nonetheless, there are some restraints and prospects in teff commercialization still unaccustomed. This study initiates to examine the teff market chain in the Dera district. It concentrates to synthesize the behavior, transparency, and effectiveness of teff market expending data from different sources. It involved teff producers, wholesalers, retailers, rural assemblers, cooperatives, urban assemblers and processors. The data investigation engaged expressive inferential statics & SCP model. Concerning marketing, the result indicates that producers supplied to the market via rural retailers, wholesalers and directly to consumers 57.7% of teff produced in 2017 cropping season. There are eleven marketing channels in transferring 2268 Quintals of teff from farmers to different intermediaries until reaching end buyers. The market structure of teff is weakly oligopolistic, implying that the market is not competitive. The producers' share of margin for the teff market accounts 68.96% associated with a 31.04% total gross margin. The marketing channel with more teff supplied can have a high or low marketing margin depending on the presence of value-adding market agents in the track. It implies that the channel with more teff supplied is not necessarily the channel in which the highest market margin. The marketing agents in the study area incur primary transaction costs like packing, loading and unloading, storage, transportation, communication and other personal costs. Therefore, improved bargaining power, access to accurate market information and infrastructural development are essential for a better performing teff market.