Abstract:
The study was conducted in South Achefer and Jabi Tehinan districts of West Gojam Zone with the
objectives of identifying the major potato marketing channels, to analyze potato marketing cost and
margins, and to examine determinants of producer’s potato supply to market. The study took a sample
of 100 producers, 70 traders and 40 end consumers randomly. Both quantitative and qualitative data
were collected and analyzed through marginal and econometrics analysis. In South Achefer district,
producers, wholesalers, retailers and processors earn 11.44, 7.54, 16.85 and 64.17% share of profit
margin, respectively. Whereas in Jabi Tehinan district, the percent shares of profit margin for producer,
collector, retailers and processors was 26.35, 25.52, 19.13 and 29.01%, respectively. In Jabi Tehinan,
regression analyses revealed that distance to nearest market centre (5%), owned ox number (10%),
experience (5%), access to credit (10%), total amount of potato produced (1%) and market information
(5%) were significant. In South Achefer district, total amount of potato produced and market information
were found to be factors affecting supply of potato to the market at 1% probability level. Therefore,
governmental and non-governmental organizations should take part in fulfilling the gap of different
market chain actors through their intervention especially in term of market information.
