Analysis of Structure Conduct and Performance of Sweet Potato Marketing the Case of Nairobi And Kisumu Kenya

Abstract

Sweet potato can potentially contribute significantly to Kenya's national objective of enhancing food security. The crop withstands drought and it is easy to grow. It can also play an important role in the diets of many rural households. Despite this importance, sweet potato is not adequately market-oriented and the competitiveness of smallholder farmers is limited by low productivity and poor quality of traditional varieties. The crop is the source of raw materials for agricultural industries. The organizational structure of Kenya's sweet potato industry and its performance are poorly documented. The study aimed at assessing the structure, conduct, and performance of the sweet potato marketing system in Nairobi and Kisumu, identifying and characterizing the opportunities and constraints on market participants that influence its performance .. Data used for analysis in this work was collected using a formal survey instrument during 2009. The survey instrument was specially designed to track the alternative channels used in sweet potato transactions and to capture the associated prices, volumes, and transaction costs in the source and final markets along the value chain.