Determinants of rice farmers' market participation and marketing channel choice in Côte d'Ivoire: evidence from a Multinomial Conditional Logit Model

Purpose This study identifies the determinants of rice farmers' market participation and the choice of paddy rice marketing channels in Côte d'Ivoire. Design/methodology/approach A two-stage sampling method was used to randomly select 588 rice farmers from seven rice-growing areas. Unlike previous studies, we consider the characteristics related to the use of various marketing channels by using a Multinomial Conditional Logit Model. Findings Results show that rice-farmer-specific variables, such as age, education, paddy yield, rice farming system, membership in farmer-based organizations, access to credit, and off-farm income, are crucial determinants of rice farmers' participation in the paddy market. Marketing channel-specific characteristics, such as cash payment, contractual arrangements, access to information, price per kilogram of paddy, and distance, are key determinants of marketing channel choice. Research limitations/implications Future research could be extended to other food crops and could make use of panel data. Originality/value The study demonstrates the importance of considering the characteristics of rice farmers and marketing channels together to enhance rice farmers' integration into the paddy rice market in Côte d’Ivoire. It enriches the existing literature on the integration of smallholder farmers into food crop markets in developing countries.