SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSES OF VEGETABLE PRODUCTION AND MARKETING IN TAMALE, NORTHERN REGION

Abstract

Globally, vegetable production and marketing serve as a source of livelihood for both urban and rural poor and contribute tremendously to food security. This study evaluates the social and economic relationships between vegetable farmers and marketers as well as the production and marketing related problems that limit farmers and marketers from getting potential benefits across seasons in the Tamale Metropolis. Qualitative individual interviews consisting of 10 and 8 farmers and marketers respectively were conducted and discourse analysis applied to understand the economics of production and marketing of vegetables and also the interactions and the interrelationships between marketers and farmers over the seasons. Also, using a panel data of 300 observations each of farmers and marketers collected over the seasons (rainy season, harmattan season and hot dry season), random effect and mixed effect models were applied to examine socioeconomic and institutional factors that influence vegetable farmers’ and marketers’ profit. Results revealed that the economic and business relationships between farmers and marketers over the seasons are fragile. Also, vegetable marketers earned a substantial profit from the marketing of vegetables compared to farmers’ profit across the seasons. Notwithstanding, the profit of farmers was significantly and negatively influenced by critical institutional factors, which include; cost of irrigation (water bill), cost of petrol (pumping machine), cost of fertilizer, access to credit and cost of seed. On the other hand, transportation cost, credit sale and days used to sell the produce negatively and significantly affect the profit of marketers. Interventions should target the formation of bank of cluster agriculture (vegetables) in order to ensure that cluster actors access goods and services in a commercially viable way.