EFISIENSI PEMASARAN GAMBIR DI KABUPATEN LIMA PULUH KOTA, SUMATERA BARAT

This study aims at analyzing the market efficiency of gambier in Lima Puluh Kota Regency, West Sumatera using analysis of operational and price efficiency. Farmers were chosen using purposive sampling method and middlemen were selected using snowball sampling method. Primary data were used for the operational efficiency analysis, and secondary data which was monthly time series data from 2004 to 2014 were utilized for the price efficiency analysis. Based on the operational efficiency analysis, it was proven that the marketing channels had been inefficient because the bargaining power of farmers was weak. By using the price efficiency analysis, it showed that in the short run, gambier market in the farm level was not integrated with the middlemen and exporter levels, whereas in the long run, gambier market in middlemen level had corellation with the exporter level but they had not been integrated. This correlation indicated that there was a collusion between the middlemen and the exporters. Therefore, the role of government is needed to maximize the regulation of gambier market and to increase the role of farmer institutions. This can be done by improving the market access information and gambier export policy to create marketing which supports the gambier farmers.