Market participation is critical to smallholder agricultural production because it stimulates increased productivity and enhances poverty alleviation. Accessibility to high value markets and participation by small-scale mango farmers in these markets in Southern Ghana are low and have received little attention on both policy and academic fronts. This study analyzed the factors that drive smallholder farmers in Ghana to participate in high value mango markets in Southern Ghana. A multistage random sampling technique was used to select 224 mango-producing households. A triple hurdle model was used in the study to capture a 3-step decision-making process. The results from the estimation of the triple hurdle model showed that participation in high value markets was influenced by education, household income, farming experience, ownership of a motorized transport (tricycle) and a radio, trust, distance to road, certification and access to credit. The level of participation in the export markets was determined by household size, household income, farming experience, distance to tarmacked roads and price. The study recommends intensive education and training to capacitate smallholder farmers to enable them to understand and meet the requirements of high value markets. Also, the farmers should be given access to credit and transaction-costs-reducing assets to enhance their participation in high value markets. Finally, certification should be duly encouraged among smallholder mango farmers to ease their access to and participation in high value mango markets.

Development partners are promoting youth entrepreneurship in agriculture (agripreneurship) in sub-Saharan Africa. While youth engagement in food crop production and marketing has received a lot of attention on both policy and academic fronts, the low level of involvement of youth in the horticultural value-chain has received little attention. To this end, this study assessed the factors that influence participation of youth in the horticultural value-chain. Using the multistage sampling technique, data were collected from 224 mango-producing households in southern Ghana. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the binary logit model. The study found that there exist differences between the youth and older farmers in terms of socioeconomic factors including education, household size, and income, and institutional support services including certification, credit, extension services and group membership. The results of the econometric model revealed that age, education, and access to credit and extension services motivate youth participation in agriculture. Access to credit and ownership of motorized transport encouraged participation of older farmers in high value markets. The study recommends that development partners provide credit facilities and capacity development through agricultural training and extension services to enhance youth participation in high value markets.

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