Analysis of Socioeconomic Factors That Affect Small Scale Farmers of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables’ Access To External Markets: A Case of Arusha Region

This study was undertaken to analyze socioeconomic factors that affect small scale farmers of fresh fruits and vegetables access to external markets. Specifically the study examined the effect of business skills; effect capital; effect of advocacy and intervention on performance of fresh fruits and vegetables access to external market. The study revealed that, FFV farming and exporting in Tanzania require skills on how to grow, harvest and sell their goods to the external markets. It was also revealed that, advocacy progrmmes from stakeholders of FFV such as government, external consumers and international food security and poverty eradication programmes need to intervene the industry. The study concludes that, factors such as business skills and capital are linked to advocacy and intervention as both needed by small scale farmers. Advocacy programme for intervening poverty eradication can be extended to FFV production and marketing, so as, the farmers can directly assess the external markets. Recommendations were done to the government to take a leading role in the design and formulation of policy and standards which shall be adopted and applied to empower the small scale farmers wishing to produce FFV. Small scale farmers were recommended to put more efforts and resources in dealing with these anomalies instead of complaining while living the opportunities to foreign exporters and those from neighbour countries. External buyers were recommended to participate in the sensitization campaign on market of FFV as well as training to farmers on farming skills to meet the international standards. Other players like commercial banks and other financial institutions were required to review and redesign loan procedures and credit facilities.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

The Open University Of Tanzania

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Mongella, John Vianney K.

• 360 Social services; association

Language dc:language

en