Market Availability and Food Security in Rungwe District

Abstract

This paper assessed market availability as one of the key factors for improving food security in Rungwe District. Specifically, the study assessed the role of market availability on food security and investigated constraints facing households in the utilisation of market opportunities in the study area. The study was carried out in Mpandapanda and Kikota villages of Rungwe District and about 150 respondents were interviewed for the study. Data were collected through documentary review, household interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, ranking and field observation. While qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS and Excel spreadsheet. The study results show that Kiwira market was important for improving both food security and household income. About 87.3per cent of the respondents indicated that Kiwira market encouraged households to produce food crops for both sale and consumption which improves food security among households. About74 per cent of the respondents showed that they have consumed three meals per day, which was contributed by crop diversification in the area. Market availability promoted food security through encouraging food crop production and facilitating income source for food purchases in the study area. About 94 per cent of the respondents indicated that financial problem was one of the major constraints facing farmers in the area. The study recommends that the government and private sectors should provide financial support to rural farmers to enhance efficient utilisation of marketing opportunities in the area.