Market participation intensity of smallholder farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana

Smallholder farmers’ market participation is challenged by transaction expenses and limited by market access because of the low potential for maximising yield from production. This study examined the factors that influence the market participation and its intensity by smallholder farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana. A cross-sectional data of 300 smallholder farmers were collected through purposive and stratified random sampling from four districts of the Northern Region. Using a double-hurdle model, the results show that age, household size, farm size, and access to crop market information, among others, influence maize and rice farmers’ market participation. The market participation intensities for both maize and rice farmers are determined by farm size, household size and access to crop market information. This shows the basis for decision-making on interventions to improve market participation of maize and rice smallholder farmers in the study area and other similar contexts. The study specifically suggests government should improve on market-oriented production for smallholder farmers at the cooperative and farmer group levels, as this is expected to increase farmers’ access to the knowledge about food crops markets in the district and community levels.