Determinants Of Production And Market Participation Of Small-Scale Groundnut Farmers In Legodi, Ramphele And Mokgohloa Villages In Polokwane Municipality, Limpopo Province

Factors Influencing Production and Market Participation among Smallholder Tomato Growers in Makhuduthamaga Municipality, Greater Sekhukhune District of Limpopo Province, South Africa

“…For instance, the farmers in Madibong and Manganeng villages are practicing a mono-cultural farming system, with low production evident in most cases. Smallholder farmers depend on the production of agricultural commodities for sustainable livelihood even though agricultural policies and market conditions are not making it easy (Segage, Nkoana, Cholo 2018). The extent to which smallholder farmers participate in the market depends on the location, socio-economic and institutional factors (Baloyi 2010).…”

“…The extent to which smallholder farmers participate in the market depends on the location, socio-economic and institutional factors (Baloyi 2010). Although research has been done on commodities such as groundnuts (Segage, Nkoana, Cholo 2018;Mogale 2015), limited or no research has been done on tomato in particular and or on how smallholder tomato farmers can produce sufficient quantity to allow them to participate in the market.…”

“…Smallholder farmers in South Africa are unable to participate in markets because they produce a small surplus that cannot be marketed in markets and cannot attract international markets (Ngemntu 2010).The major factors affecting market participation among smallholder farmers are grouped into the conceptual framework as household and household head characteristics (age, gender, education level and marital status), household endowment of crop production factors (land size), market factors (distance to nearest market, market infrastructure, and market information) and institutional services (access to extension and credit services) (Mango et al 2018;Segage, Nkoana, Cholo 2018;Selowa, Lefophane, Belete 2015;Hlongwane, Ledwaba, Belete 2014). Nelson Mango et al (2018) indicate that the important factors that influence the farmers' decision to participate or not to participate in selling their produce in the market are the level of education and age of the household head.…”