Factors influencing smallholder farmer participation in Cotton production in Zambia
Date
2014
Authors
Musonda, Calyn
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Zambia
Abstract
Cotton production offers substantial opportunities for economic growth and poverty reduction,
especially among the rural farming households in Zambia and other developing countries. However,
smallholder farmers are characterized by low participation in cotton production. Understanding the
determinants of smallholder farmer participation in cotton production could lead to the design of
interventions that would be effective in poverty reduction. This study uses Cragg's double hurdle
model and panel data collected in 2004 and 2008 to identify the factors affecting smallholder
farmer participation decisions in the four major cotton producing provinces of Central, Eastern,
Lusaka and Southern.
Empirical results from the regression analysis showed that demographic factors (such as age and sex
of head), human capital (such as marital status, dependency ratio and adult equivalent) and
institutional factors (such as access to credit and distance to nearest transport) increased the
likelihood of participation while socio economic factors (such as off farm income ) made it less
likely for households to participate. Therefore the study recommended that, an understanding of
factors that affect cotton participation and how they relate to the participation decision, should be an
important part in design of interventions aimed at improving production uptake.
Description
Student Project Report
Keywords
Cotton Trade-Zambia , Cotton Growing-Zambia , Farms, Small-Zambia