Assessment of Honey Marketing System and its Value Chain in Three Selected Woredas of Tigray Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in three selected woredas of Tigray Region. The objectives of the study were to assess the honey marketing system and its value chain in the study areas. For this study three woredas were selected purposively based on beekeeping marketing potential and were further stratified in to three peasant associations based on altitude variation as high land (>2300), mid land (1500-2300) and low land (<1500) m.a.s.l. Thirty beekeepers involved in honey marketing were selected from each peasant association using systematic random sampling method to conduct formal honey market survey with semi structured questionnaire making a total of 270 respondents. There was significant difference among different honey colors collected from traditional hives and the survey result showed that the mean price of white honey (66.39 ETB) was significantly higher (P<0.001) than any other honey color types in traditional hive. White honey from traditional hive in Kolla-Temben was significantly higher in price (68.60 ETB) than white honey in Medebe-zana and Ray-azebo woredas of the same hive types. There was highly significant difference in the income generation of the households (P<0.001). There was also significant difference among honey colors collected from frame hives and the survey result showed that the mean price of white honey(76.39) was significantly higher (P<0.001) any other honey color types in frame hives. This difference might be due to the quality, number and color preference of consumers for the honey types, the difference in the physical appearance of the honey because of impurities and difference in financial strength. The gross marketing margin share of producers from consumers fall down ward (40%) to the gross marketing margin of honey collectors, wholesalers and retailers (60%).This might be attributed to the inefficiency of the honey marketing system due to presence of unproductive market participants such as unlicensed honey traders. The regression of honey price showed that the honey demand will change by 8.417 for every coming year.

Keywords: Honey marketing, Honey value chain, Margin of Honey, Honey marketing channel, Honey marketing potential, Honey price