Vol. 4, Issue 2, Part B (2018)

Abstract
Ethiopia, one of the developing economies based on agriculture that accounts for 45 percent of GDP and 85 percent of total employment (Central statistics Authority, 2015). Knowing that agricultural sector is the economic backbone of the nation, the country’s government is doing its best level to enhance the farm production. However, it is not yet known whether the producers’ income is increasing in line with their productivity and the market channel is benefiting the producers or not. Thus, the study deals with analysis of marketing channels of selected perishable agricultural products with main objective of finding out the possibility of improving the existing market channel between producers and consumers for perishable agricultural products in Central Zone of Tigray Regional State of Ethiopia. In this study both primary and secondary data were used as source of information. Stratified random sample selection was used to choose 90 samples of which 30 from farmers,30 from final consumers and 30 from middlepersons of tomato, onion and papaya and key informant interview was held with some selected bodied. It is shown that local collectors and retailers are the most important buyers of fruits and vegetables from producers.The market major actors in the survey period were producers, local assemblers, retailers, wholesalers and consumers. It is also shown that large number of middlemen in the marketing system, absence of marketing institutions safeguarding farmers' interest and rights over their marketable produces; lack of coordination among producers to increase their bargaining power. Thus, it is recommended that the government and NGOs should intervened to boost productivities and modernize the market channel by supplying improved agricultural inputs, promoting education and providing trainings about on how to producte and marketing. It is also recommended to assign efficient extension system, updating the extension agent’s knowledge and skills with improved production and marketing system. In addition public authorities in collaboration with representatives of traders should devise means of controlling illegal traders.