Investigating Value Capture and Marketing Margins among Actors in Onion Supply Chains in Northern Ethiopia

Investigating Value Capture and Marketing Margins among Actors in Onion Supply Chains in Northern Ethiopia | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Investigating Value Capture and Marketing Margins among Actors in Onion Supply Chains in Northern Ethiopia Abay Tafere Mengistu, Mahlet Tesfa Weldearegay, Serkalem Dejene Sisay This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8495659/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Understanding how value is created and distributed among actors in food supply chains is essential for building inclusive and efficient food systems. This study examines who captures value in the onion supply chain by analyzing governance structures and marketing margins in Ofla Woreda, Northern Ethiopia. Data were collected from a systematically selected sample of 491 households engaged in onion production and marketing. Both primary and secondary data sources were utilized. Primary data were collected through household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions, which provided insights into production practices, marketing channels, costs, and constraints. Secondary data were obtained from reports, published studies, and official records of governmental and non-governmental institutions. This mixed approach ensured both the reliability and comprehensiveness of the findings. For primary data collection, structured questionnaires were designed and pre-tested according to the study objectives. The data were analyzed using descriptive and econometric methods. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize household characteristics, while an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model was applied to identify the determinants of onion value chain marketing margins. The findings show that government agencies and farmers' cooperatives supplied most of the inputs for onion growers. The longest and most prominent value chain pathway was producer → wholesaler → retailer → consumer. Producers captured the largest marketing margin (48%), followed by retailers and wholesalers. The regression analysis revealed that the main factors influencing onion marketing margins included age, education, farming experience, access to credit, communication costs, labor costs, offloading costs, storage costs, and access to market information. To improve the onion value chain, participants should join or establish farmers' cooperatives, self-help groups, and rural microfinance institutions. Institutions such as the Ofla Woreda Trade and Market Development Office, the Agriculture and Rural Development Office, and NGOs like the Dedebit Microfinance Institution should integrate market information into their services to better inform value chain actors about the potential of onion marketing. Onion Value Chain Analysis Marketing Channel Food Supply Ethiopia Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 07 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 05 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 31 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 01 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 31 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 24 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 24 Jan, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 22 Jan, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 10 Jan, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 09 Jan, 2026 First submitted to journal 09 Jan, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8495659","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":579919669,"identity":"6255fae4-7ea9-4cd6-a50f-b192f80fbf02","order_by":0,"name":"Abay Tafere Mengistu","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAxklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCSCWbLABkoyNB4jXYtmQBtLSQIKWyobDYDZxWvhnNz+TuLnjvN3a9sNAW2psoglbcueYmeTMM7eTt51JBGo5lpbbQFDPjQQzacm228lmB4BaGBsOE9YifyP9m/TftnPJZucfEqnF4EaOmYRk2wE7sxvE2mJ450yxheSZ5ASzG0BbEojxi9zt9o03JHfY2ZudT3/44EONDRHeZ2BgAUVNIlhlAhHKQYD5A5CwJ1LxKBgFo2AUjEQAAARXS5qGMTQ7AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Mekelle University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abay","middleName":"Tafere","lastName":"Mengistu","suffix":""},{"id":579919677,"identity":"d535443d-9be6-4dbc-8fbe-51d9460a931a","order_by":1,"name":"Mahlet Tesfa Weldearegay","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Mekelle University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mahlet","middleName":"Tesfa","lastName":"Weldearegay","suffix":""},{"id":579919681,"identity":"5c211d9a-f3fe-4e19-971e-defb8aae1bf7","order_by":2,"name":"Serkalem Dejene Sisay","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Wollo University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Serkalem","middleName":"Dejene","lastName":"Sisay","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-01 14:23:33","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8495659/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8495659/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":101297673,"identity":"6af772cc-1cd2-4024-b962-7a699b03f946","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-28 09:28:31","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":670153,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"RevisedManuscriptOnionValuechain.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8495659/v1_covered_6a52eda3-d122-4288-aa3a-cfa5a466504b.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Investigating Value Capture and Marketing Margins among Actors in Onion Supply Chains in Northern Ethiopia","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-food","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"discoverfood","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Food](https://www.springer.com/44187)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Discover Food","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Onion, Value Chain Analysis, Marketing Channel, Food Supply, Ethiopia","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8495659/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8495659/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eUnderstanding how value is created and distributed among actors in food supply chains is essential for building inclusive and efficient food systems. This study examines who captures value in the onion supply chain by analyzing governance structures and marketing margins in Ofla Woreda, Northern Ethiopia. Data were collected from a systematically selected sample of 491 households engaged in onion production and marketing. Both primary and secondary data sources were utilized. Primary data were collected through household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions, which provided insights into production practices, marketing channels, costs, and constraints. Secondary data were obtained from reports, published studies, and official records of governmental and non-governmental institutions. This mixed approach ensured both the reliability and comprehensiveness of the findings. For primary data collection, structured questionnaires were designed and pre-tested according to the study objectives. The data were analyzed using descriptive and econometric methods. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize household characteristics, while an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model was applied to identify the determinants of onion value chain marketing margins. The findings show that government agencies and farmers' cooperatives supplied most of the inputs for onion growers. The longest and most prominent value chain pathway was producer \u0026rarr; wholesaler \u0026rarr; retailer \u0026rarr; consumer. Producers captured the largest marketing margin (48%), followed by retailers and wholesalers. The regression analysis revealed that the main factors influencing onion marketing margins included age, education, farming experience, access to credit, communication costs, labor costs, offloading costs, storage costs, and access to market information. To improve the onion value chain, participants should join or establish farmers' cooperatives, self-help groups, and rural microfinance institutions. Institutions such as the Ofla Woreda Trade and Market Development Office, the Agriculture and Rural Development Office, and NGOs like the Dedebit Microfinance Institution should integrate market information into their services to better inform value chain actors about the potential of onion marketing.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Investigating Value Capture and Marketing Margins among Actors in Onion Supply Chains in Northern Ethiopia","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-27 13:15:59","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8495659/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-05-07T09:10:22+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-06T00:30:01+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"277040319848306875388576104672678307047","date":"2026-03-31T22:27:36+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-02T01:50:43+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"214281689667364125972910601813496320963","date":"2026-02-01T03:33:37+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-24T22:13:26+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"234075291425550524577155028456685459677","date":"2026-01-24T17:28:51+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-22T15:23:35+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-01-10T05:30:32+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-01-09T13:03:20+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Discover Food","date":"2026-01-09T12:50:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-food","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"discoverfood","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Food](https://www.springer.com/44187)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Discover Food","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"33de0ab2-7811-48dd-be05-b0b4849cf48c","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 27th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-05-07T09:10:22+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-15T13:38:17+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-27 13:15:59","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8495659","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8495659","identity":"rs-8495659","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}