Research
Value Chain Analysis of Red Pepper: The Case of Mareko District, Guragie Zone, Southern Ethiopia
The study was conducted at Mareko Woreda to undertake red pepper value chain analysis and examine the factors that affect the supply of red pepper. The area is known for its surplus production of red pepper. The study has focused on the market channel, conduct, performance of red pepper markets and the main constraints of volume of red pepper supply. Structured questionnaire, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and field observation were used for generating the data. The channel in which, retailers buy red pepper directly from farmers and they in turn sell the red pepper directly to the consumer’s outlooks as the 1st important channel in the study area in terms of volume transacted. About 78.3% of the red pepper producers sold the red pepper by the price set of both parties based on negotiation. With regard to the payment strategy, about 79.17 % of sample farmers sold their product on cash. Traders took a total of 87.75% out of the total profit margin; specifically, among traders, processors profit margin constitutes the highest share (30.71%) followed by retailors (20.49%). The result from the econometric analysis show that, education level of the household head, Average lagged price, Proportion of land allocated for red pepper production, experience of the house hold head were found to have positive influence on marketable supply of red pepper. Likewise, Average input price and diseases were found to influence marketable supply of negatively. producer share were smaller than traders so enhancing producers bargaining power through cooperative was important Marketing conduct shows that there was breed mix problem in the study area so that secured governments grant for mareko breed was essential.
Economic Valuation of Parthenium Weed Control Measures, in Gurage Zone, SNNPR of Ethiopia
The study was initiated to estimate the monetary value that farmer households’ are willing to pay for the control measure of Parthenium weed and to identify the factors determining their level of willingness to pay amount. The primary data were collected from 320 sample households drawn randomly from two purposively selected districts, Abeshige and Kebena (160 from each districts), in Gurage zone, SNNPR of Ethiopia. Both descriptive statistics and Tobit model were used to analyze the data. To elicit and estimate farmers’ responses on the amount of willingness to pay for the control measures of Parthenium weed, a contingent valuation approach involving a single bound with open ended follow up format was used. Accordingly, the estimated mean WTP for the control measure of Parthenium weed was estimated to be 168.52birr per year per household. In addition, the total maximum willingness to pay (which consists of 6,742 households in all sampled kebeles from both districts) was estimated to be 795,313.288 birr per year. The Tobit model estimates revealed that age, education, livestock ownership, off/non-farm sources of income, past awareness, assistance and membership were found to be the most important determinant factors that affect households’ maximum willingness to pay for the control measures of Parthenium weed in the study area. There is a need to linkage creation and collaboration development between and/or among all concerned body’s and stakeholders and designing and implementing integrated Parthenium weed prevention/controlling packages with full participation of the farmer households’ in the study area. Finally, priority should also be given to urgently continue with the control or eradication of Parthenium weed, to avoid future costs which may result if the control of this weed remains suspended.
