Rice Marketing Survey Nexus on Selected Rice Markets in Bo and Freetown Cities

Abstract

A market study was conducted to determine customer preferences in selected markets and the primary elements influencing the choice with the quality of rice which piqued considerable curiosity, given the state of the rice market. A cross-sectional research design was used where 80 marketers in two main market locations in Bo City and 120 in the Western area specifically Waterloo, Congo market, and Lumley markets. Fifty farmers in a parallel survey were also selected using the same approach in Tormabum, Bum Chiefdom in Bonthe District, to estimate their annual rice harvest in the study area. Data collection was carried out by 4 enumerators through separate on-site interviews using separate structured, pre-coded questionnaires from respondents. The data entry template was designed in the KoboCollect tool, cleaned, and exported into IBM SPSS version 21 and Microsoft Excel 2010 for analysis, and results are presented in tables. The key finding of the study shows that consumers preferred imported rice for its availability at all times. The study therefore recommended engagement with the diverse groups of farming actors to assess the impact of imported rice on local rice and understanding the structure of the rice value chain for increased local rice production and productivity.