Analysis market outlet choice of smallholder chickpea producers in Northwest part of Ethiopia

Chickpea is a popular food in Ethiopia and is an important source of income for many smallholder farmers. In order to promote chickpea cultivation and make it more economically viable, it is necessary to determine which markets are most suitable. Among the econometric models, the multivariate probit model is appropriate and was used to study the determinants affecting the choice of outlets for chickpea in the district. The model found that wholesalers and retailers (61% and 18% of total buyers, respectively) were the most likely to purchase chickpeas. Collectors (25% of buyers) and consumers (35% of buyers) are also important, but are less likely to succeed compared to the other market participants. Based on these results, the government and other stakeholders need to focus on developing infrastructure and improving access to credit to help farmers decide which market to target and choose the best one.

鹰嘴豆（Chickpea）是埃塞俄比亚的常见主食，同时亦是众多小农户的重要收入来源。为推广鹰嘴豆种植并提升其经济可行性，明确最适配的目标市场至关重要。在各类计量经济学模型中，多元Probit模型（multivariate probit model）适用性较强，本研究即采用该模型，对该地区鹰嘴豆销售渠道选择的影响因素展开分析。模型结果显示，批发商（占总采购商的61%）与零售商（占总采购商的18%）为最主要的鹰嘴豆采购群体。收购商（占总采购商的25%）与终端消费者（占总采购商的35%）同样属于重要的市场参与者，但相较于前述两类主体，其采购成交概率相对更低。基于上述研究结论，政府及其他利益相关方需聚焦基础设施建设与信贷可及性优化，助力农户明确目标市场并遴选最优销售渠道。