It depends who you ask: How to establish a sampling frame for traders?

Generation of pro-poor development benefits from upgrading agri-food value chains requires an understanding of markets and transactions, and the actors involved. This paper attempts to characterize pig traders in Uganda, their market linkages, perceptions of potential for value addition by way of valuation of product attributes, and perceptions of constraints. Past analyses of traders in other contexts has not reported robust methods for sampling, nor methods for engagement of traders for data collection. The current paper compares different sources of sample frames, and reports a workshop process for delivery of individual observations on traders. Characterization of traders reveals that many of them are also engaged in retail businesses, and that there is a separation between traders buying and selling piglets, and those dealing with grown pigs only. Market channels used are described. Source of sampling frame was found to affect the survey results obtained, and that this is a logical consequence of the nature of traders identified form different sources, principally their experience in the business. This disaggregation was most evident in the analysis of constraints faced.