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Value chain analysis is a central tool in agroenterprise development. It determines the most appropriate market and sales channel for the farmers’ product. It identifies critical constraints in the production-to-sales chain, and forms the basis for consolidating the farmers’ relations with the various chain actors. This case study shows how, beginning in 2002, CRS and its partners analyzed the market chain for potatoes in eastern Ethiopia, formulated a plan to increase the volume, frequency of supply and the quality of potatoes produced, and found ways to improve post-harvest handling and linkages to buyers. This case is one in a series that describes how CRS and its partners work with farmer groups and other stakeholders to develop agroenterprises. CRS and its partners created the series to share what they learned from their experience, what new skills were developed, and what team members discovered in reviewing their approaches. The series draws from a range of value chains and across a range of countries; each one focuses on a particular stage in the agroenterprise development process.

Principal Authors: Zemede Abebe and Mesfin Alemayehu, 2009