What Factors Determining Sesame Market Outlet Choice in the Western Zone of Tigray Region, Ethiopia

This study aimed to determine the factors that affected the sesame market outlet choice in Tigray region to enhance Humera sesame competitiveness. Four kebles was selected randomly based on their potential of sesame production and 130 sample households were selected based on systematic sampling and random sampling techniques. The descriptive statics indicated that sample households were 42.23 years old, 6.91 family size in number and grade five completed educational background in average. In addition to this, sesame market flows through four alternative market channels and four market outlet choices that are collectors (21.54%), whole sellers (36.96), Ethiopian commodity Exchange (15.38) and cooperatives (26.15%) to export market to international market. The Multiple variant probit model revealed that Educational background, market information, family size, sesame price, access to credit and land allocated to sesame production affects positively and statically significance 5%, 10%, 1% 5%, 1% and 10% respectively for the Whole sellers, ECX and Cooperative market outlet choice of sesame producer while Sesame farm experience was affected at 10% significance level and negatively of the collector market outlet choices of sesame producers in the study area. Therefore, intervention strategies and programs made by governmental and non-governmental organizations need to take into account the significantly influencing factors in order to bring Humera type of sesame become nationally and internationally competitive.