Determinants of Market Participation among Small-scale Pineapple Farmers in Kericho County, Kenya

Marketing agricultural produce is important amongst smallholder farmers because they derive benefits such as income and rural employment. In developing countries like Kenya, most smallholder farmers are characterized by poor market participation because they lack market information on pineapple marketing. In Bureti district; pineapples have been perceived to have high market value, resulting in trade-offs with staple food. Despite pineapples market value, its market participation has not been fully studied and quantified results in poor prices among small-scale farmers. The objectives of the study were: to describe socio-economic characteristics of small-scale pineapple farmers, institutional and market characteristics in Bureti district; to determine the factors influencing market participation and its extent, and; to determine the factors influencing the choice of pineapple marketing outlet in Bureti district. The study was conducted in five locations (Kapkisiara, Kisiara, Tulwet, Getarwet and Tebesonik). Multistage sampling procedure was employed to contact 150 respondents. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data from small-scale pineapple farmers through face to face interview. The data was analyzed using the descriptive statistics, Heckman two-stage selection model and Multinomial Logit model. SPSS and STATA computer programs were used to process the data. The results showed that age, gender, education level and pineapple yields significantly influenced the decision to participate in pineapple marketing. Gender, price information, group marketing, marketing experience, vehicle ownership and marketing under contract significantly influenced the extent of market participation. Further, gender, group marketing, pineapple yield, price information, marketing under contract and vehicle ownership significantly influenced the choice of pineapple marketing outlets. The study recommends that, for holistic market participation among pineapple farmers, proper market infrastructure like pineapple hub must be put in place. The government and other policy makers should increase the marketing information and ability of pineapple farmers through avenues like mass media, extension service, and other means of capacity building