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The Future of Smallholder Farming in Eastern Africa - Uganda ...

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3.4.4 License and Market Fees<br />

Accord<strong>in</strong>g to the commercial law <strong>of</strong> Kenya, all traders are required to obta<strong>in</strong> a trad<strong>in</strong>g<br />

license. Depend<strong>in</strong>g on the volume <strong>of</strong> trade, the fee paid ranges from Ksh. 500 per year for<br />

very small-scale traders to Ksh. 100,000 per year for very large-scale maize millers and<br />

processors. Marketplaces adm<strong>in</strong>istered by the local governments normally charge a daily flat<br />

rate market entrance fee. This fee ranges between Kshs. 10 and 20 depend<strong>in</strong>g on the<br />

respective local government rates.<br />

3.4.5 Bribes<br />

In December 1993 virtually all restrictions on <strong>in</strong>terregional maize trade were lifted, but<br />

police roadblocks rema<strong>in</strong>ed. Traders still need to obta<strong>in</strong> a trad<strong>in</strong>g license, but this<br />

requirement has been loosely enforced, and most traders cont<strong>in</strong>ue to operate without trad<strong>in</strong>g<br />

licenses. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the field survey for this study, the study team <strong>in</strong>terviewed 13 traders who<br />

admitted hav<strong>in</strong>g paid bribes to police <strong>of</strong>ficers. <strong>The</strong>se bribes ranged from Ksh. 500 to 3,600.<br />

<strong>The</strong> bribe depends on the number <strong>of</strong> bags be<strong>in</strong>g transported. Other traders also reported<br />

hav<strong>in</strong>g paid bribes to licens<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>ficers. Bribes to licens<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>ficers ranged from Kshs.100 to<br />

3,000. <strong>The</strong> existence <strong>of</strong> this rent-seek<strong>in</strong>g behavior po<strong>in</strong>ts to cumbersome licens<strong>in</strong>g<br />

procedures and unclear requirements. Enforc<strong>in</strong>g zero tolerance <strong>of</strong> corruption will guarantee<br />

elim<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> this market<strong>in</strong>g cost.<br />

3.4.6 Other Market<strong>in</strong>g Costs<br />

Maize traders also <strong>in</strong>cur costs <strong>of</strong> packag<strong>in</strong>g materials (usually jute and polypropylene gunny<br />

bags), which normally cost between Ksh. 20 and 30 per bag. Security fees and board<strong>in</strong>g and<br />

lodg<strong>in</strong>g fees are additional costs <strong>in</strong>curred, especially by long-distance maize traders.<br />

Board<strong>in</strong>g and lodg<strong>in</strong>g costs could be reduced through improved market transparency and<br />

contract enforcement laws that would allow for flow <strong>of</strong> products without the need for<br />

physical <strong>in</strong>spection.<br />

4.0 CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS<br />

4.1 Conclusions<br />

<strong>The</strong> major objective <strong>of</strong> this study was to analyze the efficiency <strong>of</strong> the maize market<strong>in</strong>g<br />

system and determ<strong>in</strong>e how its efficiency has been affected by liberalization. To this end, we<br />

carried out an analysis <strong>of</strong> market <strong>in</strong>tegration among spatially separated markets, both <strong>in</strong> the<br />

pre- and postliberalization eras, us<strong>in</strong>g a number <strong>of</strong> techniques. An important goal <strong>of</strong> market<br />

liberalization and the open<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> maize markets to private traders was to <strong>in</strong>crease market<br />

efficiency by reduc<strong>in</strong>g market<strong>in</strong>g costs and spatial and temporal price differentials. We<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestigated this issue by consider<strong>in</strong>g changes <strong>in</strong> price spreads and volatility and the level <strong>of</strong><br />

market<strong>in</strong>g costs. F<strong>in</strong>ally we considered the effect <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>frastructure and government actions on<br />

market efficiency.<br />

<strong>The</strong> results show that the liberalization policy has enhanced market efficiency as measured<br />

through market <strong>in</strong>tegration and that there are potential opportunities for arbitrage between<br />

maize surplus and deficit regions. Liberalization has also led to the development <strong>of</strong> central<br />

markets (Nairobi <strong>in</strong> the consumption zone and Kitale <strong>in</strong> the production zone), <strong>in</strong>dicat<strong>in</strong>g<br />

movement toward a more organized market<strong>in</strong>g system.<br />

<strong>The</strong> arbitrage opportunities brought about by liberalization will, however, rema<strong>in</strong> largely<br />

unexploited because <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>frastructural, <strong>in</strong>stitutional, and policy constra<strong>in</strong>ts that h<strong>in</strong>der the<br />

development <strong>of</strong> a private sector that could perform the functions hitherto performed by<br />

government agencies. <strong>The</strong>se constra<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>in</strong>clude:

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