Determinants of Market Participation by Cucumber Farmers in Odukpani Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

Vegetable production is a key activity in rural areas, contributing significantly to employment and income generation thereby reducing poverty among the households. This study thus focused on the determinants of market participation by smallholder cucumber farmers in Odukpani Local Government Area. The specific objectives were to describe the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers, to examine the category of market participation by farmers, to identify the factors that affect cucumber market participation and to recommend strategies to enhance market participation. A multi stage sampling technique was used to select a sample of 72 farmers used for the study. Data was collected using semi structured questionnaires and were analyzed using frequency, percentage and probit regression. The result from the analysis reveals that distance to the market, market information and quantity harvested were significant and are the important factors affecting the ability of the smallholder farmers to participate in the output market. In addition, the findings indicate that farmers can be better integrated with the market if better support services are provided like market information, extension services and the improvement of poor feeder roads.

Keywords: Market Participation, Smallholder Cucumber Farmers, Vegetable Production, Market Information