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The Determinants of Farmers’ Choice of Markets for Staple Food Commodities in Dodoma and Morogoro, Tanzania

Author

Listed:
  • Rajabu Joseph Kangile

    (Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) Dakawa Center, Morogoro P.O. Box 1892, Tanzania)

  • Charles Peter Mgeni

    (School of Agricultural Economics and Business Studies, The Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro P. O. Box 3007, Tanzania
    The Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany)

  • Zena Theopist Mpenda

    (School of Agricultural Economics and Business Studies, The Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro P. O. Box 3007, Tanzania)

  • Stefan Sieber

    (The Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
    Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Life Sciences Thaer-Institute, Humboldt-Universität zuBerlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany)

Abstract

Institutional and policy-induced factors affect farmers’ decisions on the choice of the market to sell their staple foods. This results in low motivation to participate in the production and agricultural commodities’ commercialization. This study determines specific institutional and policy-induced factors affecting the farmers’ decisions regarding the staple food market choice in Tanzania. The study uses household survey data collected from 820 farmers raising staple food crops (maize, rice, sorghum, and millet) randomly selected from the Dodoma and Morogoro regions, Tanzania. The index method, descriptive statistics, and choice model (multinomial logit model) are used for data analysis. Qualitative policy analysis is used for analyzing policy-induced factors. Findings show a low level of integration of farmers into staple food markets, with female-headed households facing more hurdles in accessing markets than male-headed households. Age, formal training, the value of agricultural production, membership in organizations, access to credit, contractual arrangements, and distance to markets are significant factors driving farmers to choose a particular market to sell their produces. Restriction of selling and use of staple food commodities, instability of food policy administration, and procedural operation obstacles are found to be key policy-induced factors affecting the marketing of staple food commodities in Tanzania. The scale of production, as depicted by the value of production, and supply contract arrangement with buyers are important factors to ensure that farming households excel in lucrative markets through increased economies of scale and the ability to reach critical volumes for supplying to various markets. Supporting market linkage and infrastructure, as well as enforcing transparent and non-restrictive food marketing policies, would help many farmers enter into contractual arrangements that increase market access and improve market choices.

Suggested Citation

  • Rajabu Joseph Kangile & Charles Peter Mgeni & Zena Theopist Mpenda & Stefan Sieber, 2020. "The Determinants of Farmers’ Choice of Markets for Staple Food Commodities in Dodoma and Morogoro, Tanzania," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-12, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:10:y:2020:i:5:p:142-:d:352613
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Martha Swamila & Damas Philip & Adam Meshack Akyoo & Stefan Sieber & Mateete Bekunda & Anthony Anderson Kimaro, 2020. "Gliricidia Agroforestry Technology Adoption Potential in Selected Dryland Areas of Dodoma Region, Tanzania," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Masud Rana & Keshav Lall Maharjan, 2022. "Participation of Brinjal Farmers in Large and Small Wholesale Markets: Factors Influencing Farmers’ Decisions and Impact on Producers’ Prices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-20, February.
    4. K. Nirmal Ravi Kumar & G. Mohan Naidu & D. Suresh Kumar & Adinan Bahahudeen Shafiwu & Ishaque Mahama, 2026. "A multivariate probit analysis of market outlet decision-making of smallholder tomato producers," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-32, January.
    5. Mike J. Maketho, 2025. "Building Resilient Urban Food Systems Through Informal Food Markets In Zimbabwe," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(9), pages 2597-2612, September.

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