From a loser to a winner: How can collective marketing increase market access among smallholder farmers in Tanzania?

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the influence of production, socio-economic, and marketing factors on market access among smallholder farmers when mediated by collective marketing. Most smallholder farmers are losers because of various marketing challenges. However, to make them winners is to increase their market access. This means a broad range of factors needs to be mediated by collective marketing. Additionally, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze relationships. The findings of the study were in favor of the hypotheses. This is because all the results showed a positive and significant relationship (production factors β=0.191, p=0.017, socio-economic factors β=0.251, p=0.000, marketing factors β=0.663, p=0.000, and collective marketing β=0.653, p=0.000). Hence, all the variables were important in explaining the market access decisions among smallholder farmers. Also, the SOBEL test was conducted to test the mediating effect of collective marketing, and the findings indicate that it is a partial mediator. The study makes both practical and theoretical contributions to smallholder farmers and market access in the study field. It argues that smallholder farmers have to develop skills related to collective marketing to increase market access.