Factors Influencing The Choice Of Market System Among Smallholder Sunflower Farmers In Singida Region, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to find out the factors influencing choice of market system among smallholder sunflower farmers in Singida region, Tanzania. Specifically, the study intended to: examine the influence of quality requirement factors onchoice of market systems by smallholder sunflower farmers, find out the influence of suppliers of supporting goods factors on choice of market systems by smallholder sunflower farmers and analyze the influence of entities influencing business environment on choice of market systems by smallholder sunflower farmers. The study employed a mixed method approach in data collection. The study involved number of respondents who were source of information including, District Agriculture, Irrigation and Cooperative Officer, Ward Agricultural Extension Officers and smallholder sunflower farmers. The techniques used to obtain these respondents were snowball and purposive sampling. The data were collected using questionnaire from 134 smallholder sunflower farmers and interviews with 4 key informants. Quantitative data were analyzed using Logistic Regression model while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. It was found that quality requirement factors such as seed, chemicals and fertilizers influence choice of low end market system by smallholder sunflower farmers with P < 0.05. Also, the suppliers of supporting goods factors were found to influence smallholder sunflower farmers to rely on low end market system with P < 0.05. Furthermore, the business environment factors in the study area were observed to influence smallholder sunflower farmers to rely on low end market system with P < 0.05. It is concluded that, smallholder sunflower farmers rely on low end market system than high end market system due to lack of capital, poor use of production inputs, lack of education and training, poor infrastructures and influence of middlemen who discriminate them in terms of price. Thus, it is recommended that; more education should be provided to smallholder sunflower farmers, farmers associations should be revived, and financial institutions have to consider smallholder sunflower farmers in provision of capitals.