FACTORS AFFECTING MAIZE PRODUCTION AND MARKETING; THE CASE OF ABESHEGE WOREDA, GURAGE ZONE, SNNPR OF ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The research was conducted to analysis the factors that affect maize production and marketing in Abeshege district with specific objectives identifying factors affecting the quantity of maize production ,analyze the market channel choices by maize producers and to identify the main challenges and opportunities of maize production and marketing in the study area. From 26 maize producer’s kebeles, 3 kebeles were purposively selected based on their production potentials. Sample respondents were selected based on systematic random sampling technique due to the homogeneous population in their production. Descriptive analyses (mean, frequency, standard Error, and percentages) and econometrics model (OLS) were used to analyze data. The ordinary least square regressions (OLS) model result shows that the quantity of maize produced were significantly andpositively affected byfamily size, income, livestock, and improved seed, while age of household is affected significantly and negatively. The choices of the market channel to sale their product depends on the distance between farmers and consumers, price preference, availability and accessibility of marketing facilities. The majority of farmers indicated that drought, pest’s diseases, and poor transportation, and lack of market service as the major challenges in the productionand marketing of maize and the opportunity for the production andmarket of maize arecreate job opportunity for the community, decrease the level of poverty,create market access, increase the consumption of maize in the district, on the basis of the results of this study, the following recommendations are drawn. Farmers sell their products based on market situation in order to minimize and alleviate the existed problems.Ordinary least squares (OLS) model results indicated that output level is determined by the availability of input level. So, to increase the output level, improving input distribution system is crucial.Then we recommended the producers should use the improved breeds rather than local breed and fertilizer in order to increase productivity.In addition, recommended that extension workers should pay more attention more advising on market oriented commodities.