The Market Participation Determinants Among Smallholder Carrot Farmers in Songoro Ward, Meru District Council

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the socio-economic determinants of market participation by smallholder carrot farmers. Carrot farming represents one of the most valuable vegetables in Songoro Ward. However, smallholder farmers are constrained by many factors from effectively participating in market activities to generate enough income to improve their livelihoods. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design and an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach, whereby qualitative data were first collected from 5 FGDs and 6 KIIs and analysed, followed by quantitative data collection and analysis. A sample of 285 smallholder carrot farmers was selected using simple random sampling techniques. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis with constant comparison, while quantitative data were entered into IBM-Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics using a binary logistic regression model. The study found that age, sex, land size, household head's carrot farming experience, and access to market information statistically significantly influenced household market participation at the p<0.005 significance level. The study concludes that the implications of these factors are that market participation is rarely equal. Socio-economic factors create barriers that lead to economic exclusion, gender inequality in market access and unequal market information access. It is therefore recommended that local government authorities in Meru District Council and other policymakers consider these factors when supporting farmers' participation in carrot markets to ensure the long-term success of market participation in Meru District Council.