Factors that influence market participation among traditional beef cattle farmers in the Meatu District of Simiyu Region, Tanzania

Abstract

Market participation among beef cattle farmers is key to ensuring better income, food security, and sustainable beef supply. Farmers in the traditional beef cattle sector, nevertheless, are well known for their low market participation. This study, thus, sought to examine factors that influenced market participation among beef cattle farmers in the Meatu district of Simiyu region, Tanzania. The study randomly selected a sample size of 393 farmers. The cross-sectional data collected through interviews and questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models. The descriptive analyses showed that the average age of the interviewees was 53.73 years with a family size of 13.11. On average, the respondents had about 24.14 years of farming experience. Most of the respondents (67.9%) had primary education. Among the respondents, about 61.3%, 4.6%, and 32.6% had access to market information, farm credits, and veterinary services, respectively. The average cattle herd size was 53.46 heads. About 90.1% of farmers had participated in the markets by selling an average of 5 heads each, per year. This study has revealed low volume of sales, low education levels, and poor access to credits and veterinary services as the major factors that limit market participation. Furthermore, econometric results show that the key factors that significantly influenced farmers to increase the volume of beef cattle sales in the market at P < 0.05 included price, herd size, off-farm income, distance to market, age of the farmer, and cattle fattening. Moreover, membership in cooperatives, access to market information, and farming experience also had significant influence at P < 0.05. This study recommends establishment of strategic cooperatives to function not only as a communication channel for farm credits, price, market information, and training on commercial farming, but also to assist farmers in selection of profitable markets.

Examining Profitability, Viability, and Commercialization Level of Beef Cattle Production among Pastoralists in the Simanjiro District of the Manyara Region, Tanzania

“…About 59.3% of pastoralists had no formal education, while 35.5% and 5.5% of pastoralists, had primary and college education, respectively. Education improves one's ability to improve beef cattle productivity and profitability [31]. Pastoralists should be provided with tailor-made training and education to promote the development of the beef cattle production among pastoralists.…”

“…The average grazing land owned by pastoralists was 10.9 ha. Grazing land availability is important in beef cattle productivity and profitability, which enhances the economic benefits and efficiency of beef cattle production [31].…”

A market analysis of beef cattle: Study in North Sulawesi Province - Indonesia

“…It was relevant with previous study [23] The previous research reported that there is a tendency of market domination from wholesalers, so it can control price of beef cattle in its marketing chain. While, the participation of traditional farmers is heavily influenced by access to market information, low education background, and agriculture credit [7,24,25]. The marketing margin in the level of livestock brokers or intermediaries was relatively small since they only bore a lower marketing cost, such as market retribution cost and temporary gathering cost of beef cattle.…”

Market structure and price controller of beef cattle in North Sulawesi

“…The characteristic of breeder's and trader's income of beef cattle in North Sulawesi shows that the rate of income was IDR 2,500,000-IDR 10,000,000/month. Therefore, breeders and traders sufficiently relied on beef cattle as one of the main household livings, even though it had not become the only living source of breeder's household [6,7,9]. It happened since some of the breeders still counted on foods plant as the main source of living.…”

“…In North Sulawesi, the sub-sector of beef cattle contributes to household income, regional income, job procurement ad export profit [2,3,4]. As beef cattle has a significant role in the level of household, it effects on the socio-economic life, such as solving household's economic issues, assets enhancer of household's wealth and value depositor when the market and formal financial institution are unavailable [5,6,7].…”