Determinants of market outlet choice of the smallholder potato producers in south west shoa zone of Ethiopia

This study was aimed at analyzing potato market outlet choice in woliso and wonchi districts of the south west shoa zone of Ethiopia. In this study, primary and secondary data sources were employed. The data were obtained from a sample of 368 farm households. Both descriptive and econometric methods have been employed for data analysis. The results of descriptive statistics show that the probabilities for potato producers to choose wholesalers, retailers, collectors, and consumers as market outlets were 51.63%, 52.72%, 45.92%, and 42.39%, respectively. Moreover, the results from the multivariate probit model indicate that the probability of choosing wholesalers, retailers, collectors, and consumers market outlet choice is significantly affected by age, sex, land allocated for potatoes, product supplied to market, distance to market, total livestock holding, and access to credit services. Based on the study's findings, we suggest the government and interested parties focus on enhancing rural-urban infrastructure and establishing the closest potato market in order to increase market accessibility.