Market Chain Analysis of White Corn in Abra

Abstract

The study evaluated the market chain of white corn in Pidigan and Bangued, Abra in order to identify market-based solutions to constraints and opportunities in the market chain. A combined descriptive qualitative and quantitative research design was used in the study. Six major actors namely, farmers, assembler-agents, assembler-wholesalers, assembler-trucker-wholesalers, truckerwholesalers, and processors, were identified in the white corn market chain. Buyers or traders have critical roles that are advantageous to the farmers. Production is mostly led by men while marketing is mostly performed by women. The farmer is the most disadvantaged actor compared to other actors in terms of profit received. The farmer has a lower profit share than the trader if the farmer sells their produce as dehusked. Pests, low price of corn, and low quality of farmer produce are the major problems encountered by the market actors. Farmers can sell their produce directly to the processor thru collective marketing but multi-disciplinary technical assistance is needed. Agro-enterprise opportunities in white corn production can be a) consolidation and marketing of white corn including value-adding activities such as shelling, drying, and transporting; and b) white corn seed production by seed producer groups comprised of farmer groups or progressive individual farmers.