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

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Gett<strong>in</strong>g reliable price <strong>in</strong>formation is one <strong>of</strong> the other most difficult aspects <strong>of</strong> the retail<br />

market. Consumers who do not have time to go around the central market and check are<br />

likely to face higher prices. Un<strong>in</strong>formed buyers are <strong>of</strong>ten met by gangs act<strong>in</strong>g as<br />

<strong>in</strong>termediaries and can be easily cheated. Hav<strong>in</strong>g a trusted client is <strong>of</strong>ten the only protection<br />

aga<strong>in</strong>st overcharg<strong>in</strong>g and cheat<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

4. REGIONAL TRADERS<br />

Regional traders buy gra<strong>in</strong> from farmers and supply the central market. <strong>The</strong> effects <strong>of</strong> trade<br />

liberalization on producers can be exam<strong>in</strong>ed through its impact on regional traders. This<br />

section exam<strong>in</strong>es how regional traders operate and how they <strong>in</strong>teract with brokers at the<br />

central market <strong>of</strong> Addis Ababa.<br />

Almost all sample respondents are male traders, and the majority are owner-managers. <strong>The</strong><br />

majority <strong>of</strong> regional traders started their bus<strong>in</strong>ess after the 1991 reform. A vast majority <strong>of</strong><br />

the traders, 87.5 percent, established their own bus<strong>in</strong>ess, while 6.3 percent <strong>in</strong>herited the<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>ess from their parents and relatives (Table 4.1).<br />

Table 4.1: How was the bus<strong>in</strong>ess started<br />

Response Number %<br />

Set it<br />

28 87.5<br />

up/established it<br />

Inherited 2 6.3<br />

Bought 1 3.1<br />

Do not know 1 3.1<br />

Total 32 100.0<br />

Source: Survey, 2002.<br />

Not many regional traders reported hav<strong>in</strong>g diversified <strong>in</strong>to other bus<strong>in</strong>ess activities. Only 7<br />

out <strong>of</strong> the 32 cases (22 percent) run merchandise trade and flourmills (Annex Table 4.2). <strong>The</strong><br />

majority <strong>of</strong> the regional traders appear to have devoted all their resources to gra<strong>in</strong> trade.<br />

<strong>The</strong> average capital <strong>of</strong> regional traders is birr 35,906.25, and the ma<strong>in</strong> source <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>itial capital<br />

is iqub (66 percent), followed by gift from family (9 percent) and borrow<strong>in</strong>g from relatives<br />

and friends (9 percent). Unlike the brokers and most <strong>of</strong> the retailers <strong>in</strong> Addis Ababa, regional<br />

traders need a large amount <strong>of</strong> capital to buy gra<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> cash and transport it to Addis Ababa.<br />

Only two <strong>of</strong> the sample respondents managed to get loans from formal f<strong>in</strong>ancial <strong>in</strong>stitutions<br />

(Table 4.2).

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