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Author
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Musara, Joseph P.
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Title
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Economic Analysis of The Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) Value Chain in The Mid Zambezi Valley of Zimbabwe
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Abstract
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Efficient sorghum value chains are integral for sustainability of small-scale farmers’ subsistence, social and economic livelihoods in semi-arid communities of southern Africa. There is, however, a dearth in quantitative evidence on the determinants which are crowding out stakeholders from participating in the sorghum value chain activities. The study added to
new knowledge in this realm by analysing the sorghum value chain pillars in the mid- Zambezi Valley of Zimbabwe. Using five Wards from Mbire District, mixed approaches were used to collect cross-sectional survey data from 380 smallholder farmers. Secondary data were collected from Agritex, NGOs, agro-dealers, traders, processors and retailers to triangulate the primary data.
Mapping techniques identified relationships, constraints, opportunities and marketing margins accruing to selected sorghum value chain actors. Results from the data show that input supply systems are underdeveloped, and production is stalled by the low uptake of improved seed varieties and low fertilizer application. There is limited production, marketing and processing of sorghum due to constrained access to production factors, biased extension services, erratic supply of grain to centralised markets by farmers, limited value addition activities and low producer prices. Determinants of sorghum production and land allocation intensity decisions were examined using double hurdle with probit and censored tobit regression respectively. Frequency of contact with relatives, subsidy access and affiliation to associations influenced the sorghum production decision. Market access, availability of storage facilities and number of buyers whom the farmer interacts with in the market
influenced intensity of land allocation towards sorghum.
Factors influencing farmers’ market participation and marketing channel choices were identified using probit and multinomial logit respectively. Three exclusive marketing channels were isolated as local (44.7%), traders (34.2%) and a combination of the two (17.1%). Payment time, number of buyers with whom the farmer relates, age of principal decision maker and distance to market influenced (p<0.05) market participation. Using local
market as the referent category, weighted average market price, number of buyers whom the farmer interacts with in the market, distance to the market, dependency ratio and household income are robust determinants of marketing channel selection. Though variables influencing the two decisions are different, showing independence in the decision-making processes,
information access through interaction with more buyers influenced both decisions.
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Date
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2020
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Publisher
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BUSE
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Keywords
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Sorghum
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Zambezi Valley
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Supervisor
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Dr. L. Musemwa
Musara - DPHIL AEM.pdf