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Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) - Call for papers!

Marketing of maize in Ratanak Mondul District, Battambang Province, Cambodia

(Cambodia), Master of Science in Agricultural Economics (University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Thesis Abstract:

This study was conducted to analyze the efficiency of maize in Ratanak Mondul District, Battambang Province, Cambodia. A total of 147 producers and 25 traders were randomly selected as sample respondents. The methodologies employed in this study included tracing method, gross profit, marketing margin, price share, and Shepherd’s Index.
 
Results revealed that the gross return per hectare basis of producers for selling product in grain form was higher (KHR 699,711) than selling in cob form (KHR 429,648). Producers, village collectors, commune collectors, and district wholesalers were the marketing agents involved in delivering maize from the farm to domestic feed processing firms and Vietnam/Thai exporters. The product was distributed through 10 marketing channels. About 51 percent of maize was exported to Thailand and Vietnam. Maize price was determined by the buyers, and was based on the prevailing price and quality of maize grain. Price of maize was high if the maize grains were of good quality and vice versa.
 
The results showed that producers claimed higher share (67.95%) in MC VIII, and the marketing cost incurred was lower. On the other hand, village collectors received higher share (29.67%) in MC VI, commune collectors (30.46%) in MC IX, and district wholesalers (33.69%) in MC III. Commune collectors were more efficient in maize marketing than the other traders since they incurred lower cost of marketing and higher profit-cost ratio (0.65). In general MC IX was found to be more efficient as compared to the other channels of the whole system. The efficiency of maize marketing exists when there were less marketing agents participating in a marketing
channel and vice versa.
 
Based on the results of the study, the following are recommended to improve maize production and marketing in the study areas in particular, and in Cambodia as a whole: (1) promote market contract arrangements, (2) strengthen and broaden extension services, (3) enhance accessibility of credit services, (4) improve information system and market information dissemination, (5) improve road system, (6) regulate the traders through accreditation, (7) minimize market price fluctuation and unstable market, (8) improve bargaining power of farmers, and (9) formulate policies for guiding maize marketing.