Analysis of marketing channels of goats and traders’ practices in Arapai sub county, Soroti district

Abstract

The study involved analyzing the marketing channels of goats and trader’s practices in Arapai Sub County, Soroti District. The sample size was 60 respondents both goats’ traders at community level and Arapai market. The specific objectives of the study are: to identify the goat marketing channels of goats, evaluate access to market information among goat traders, examine pricing practices in the goat Market, and identify the challenges faced by goat’s traders in Arapai Sub County. This was analyzed using descriptive statistics with 60.0% of the respondents are aware of the marketing channels involved in the goat’s trade, 28.3% have access to market information through local visits to the markets, and goats’ traders 46.6% indicated that pricing of goats depends on characteristics like age, weight, body score and to sum up challenges were identified as competition (40%), changing consumer preference (23.3%), disease burden at (18.3%), limited market facilities (11.6%). Based on the findings, the following are the general recommendations: to involve others market actors to make the marketing system advance and function efficiently, establishment of market infrastructure and facilities to ensure profitable business for both farmers and goat’s traders, further research on economics and profitability of goats’ trade in Arapai sub county, empowering of women to participate in the goats’ trade. Key words: Goats trade, Marketing Channels, Goat Trader practices