TRADER-FARMER COLLABORATION AND AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIALIZATION IN YAGABA IN THE NORTH-EAST REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

Smallholder commercialization becomes a necessary driver for poverty alleviation and food security in agriculturally driven economies in Sub-Saharan Africa considering rising population growth with increased competition for access to resources. However, commercializing smallholder farming in agriculturally driven economies vary in scales, institutional arrangements and labour regimes as well as socio-economic, environmental and political influence with varying policy initiatives towards incorporating smallholder farmers to the commercial value chains which can be traced by an increase in market participation, higher income, improved standard of living and sustainable poverty alleviation. The study investigated into trader-farmer collaboration and its livelihood impact on poverty alleviation. The study explored, described and explained the research through a narrative and case study design with a purposive sampling technique to select respondents and a convenient sampling technique in selecting the traders. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used and the findings revealed that trader-farmer collaboration in the Yagaba Community has been impactful in terms of its livelihood impacts with improved living standards and food security of both farmers and traders despite numerous challenges including lack of infrastructure, bad road network, absence of inclusive and broad-based policies to ensure sustainability.