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Structure and performance of formal retail market for bamboo
products in Kenya
Jacob K. Kibwage*, Alphonce J. Odondo and Grace M. Momanyi
Tobacco-Bamboo Research Project Office, School of
Environment and Earth Sciences, Maseno University, Kenya.
*Corresponding author.
E-mail: jkkibwage@yahoo.com. Tel:
0254-57351204/351620/2. Fax: 0254-57-351221/351153.
Accepted
23 May, 2008. |
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In Kenya,
bamboo is mostly found in Central, Western and Coastal
provinces. It is mainly used in residential fencing,
horticultural flower farming, handcrafts and minor cottage
industry products. This study focused on bamboo market
segments in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu with the aim of
addressing uncertainties in the market structure and lack of
concrete information on market potentials of the products. A
stratified random sample of 20 branches of major
supermarkets (i.e.Uchumi Supermarket Limited and Nakumatt
Holdings Limited) was conducted. Standard questionnaires,
key-informant interviews and participant observation were
used to obtain primary data. Secondary data were obtained
from International Network for Bamboo and Rattan database,
conferences/workshops proceedings reports, scientific
journals, periodicals and textbooks. This study revealed
that most bamboo products are imported, a scenario that
results in high product prices and low demand. Thus, the
need to encourage domestic production of the products.
Conditions of imperfect competition with oligopolistic
tendencies characterize the formal retail market, hence the
need to strengthen its competition through consumer
enlightenment and information dissemination.
Key
words:
Bamboo
market, supermarkets, Kenya. |
