Apple mango value chain in northern Ethiopia: case study of Mereb-Leke District

Abstract

This study, conducted in Mereb-Leke district of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, had as objective to analye the value chain of mango ( Mangifera indica ) in the area. Though both apple mango and normal mango are produced in the study area the emphasis of this study was on apple mango. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select mango producers. In the first stage, the study district was purposively selected from the districts of northern Ethiopia based on its apple mango production performance. In the second stage, four peasant associations were selected purposively from the total peasant associations of the district based on their mongo production potential. In the final stage, 126 mango producers were randomly selected from the selected peasant associations based on the size of each association through the application of simple random sampling technique. In addition to mango producers five wholesalers and five retailers were included from different mango markets. The collected data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics and calculation of margins. The finding of the study showed that the value chain actors of apple mango were; input supplies, producers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers. Unlike other products in apple mango producers are not included along the value chain; this is because of its cost to use it for juice. Juice house prefers normal mango to apple mango because of its profitability. From the analysis of costs and margins the value added by farmers, wholesalers and retailers was 1583.65, 330.5 and 497 birr/qt, respectively. The major problems along the mango value chain include; shortage of timely input supply, high cost of inputs, diseases of mango plant, shortage of market information, shortage of transportation facility and road infrastructure, farmers’ lack of management skill, lack of organized market linkage and presence of illegal traders. Keywords: Apple mango, chain mapping, Mereb-leke, value chain