Challenges and opportunities of rice marketing: The case of cooperative societies in south Gondar zone, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Rice is among the most important crops grown in different parts of Ethiopia as food crop. Rice farming in the country has increased from time to time. This study, therefore, aims to study challenges and opportunities rice marketing in the case of South Gondar zone cooperative societies. For this study data were conducted from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected using questioner from 345 of members. Besides, key informants and FGD were used to collect reliable data. Also Secondary data were consulted. In this research both qualitative and quantitative techniques of data analysis were used to describe and analyze the research questions. The data that was collected from sample members’ survey were organized and entered in to SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics were used and then the figures were analyzed and interpreted. As findings show poor marketing facilities of the cooperatives including storage, working capital, rice milling service, low transportation facility, lack market information system, low capacity of coops management committee and low technical support by cooperative promotion agency, contributes for ill performance of rice marketing in cooperative society. Finally, the study concluded that cooperatives are important tools for rice producers’ to provide producers’ price, reducing marketing costs and providing different services at lowest cost. Moreover coops have a significant importance to shorten the marketing channel in order to reduce the marketing costs incurred at each level of marketing channel so that the benefits will go to the producers. Therefore, responsible organizations such as CPA, NGOs working in development of rice & coop development sector should pay attention to strengthen them.