Factors Influencing Smallholder Farmers’ Participation in Irish Potato Value Addition in Ndorwa County West, Kabale District

Abstract

This study investigated the factors influencing small holder farmers’ participation in Irish potato value addition in Ndorwa County West, Kabale District. The specific objectives were to; identify actors, services, and processes in the potato value chain and to establish the socio-economic and institutional factors influencing participation in the potato value chain. The study was a cross sectional descriptive survey employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection and analysis. Data was collected from 206 smallholder farmers and other value chain actors (input suppliers, commission men, rural hawkers, traders, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers) using questionnaires and interviews. Data management and analysis were done using SPSS version 20 to generate both descriptive and regression statistics. The potato value chain of Ndorwa west consists of five major players that are input suppliers, producers, retailers, processors, and consumers as opposed to the national standard value chain that consisted of; input suppliers, producers, commission men/ brokers, rural hawkers, local traders, traveling traders, wholesalers, retailers, consumers, processors and support providers (indirect actors). The main socio-economic factors influencing small holder farmers’ participation in potato production and value addition are; gender, access to capital, access to technology, household size, quantity harvested, engagement in off-farm activities, and group membership. Access to credit services, un-reliable power, lack of value-addition information, and lack of formal arrangements along the value chain were the main institutional factors influencing small holder farmers’ participation in potato value addition. As a result, the study confirmed that there is a difference between the potato value chain of Ndorwa west and a standard value chain as well as significant factors influencing participation in potato value addition. It is, therefore, recommends farmers form groups that may help them pool enough resources for technology improvement, boost production, and access credit services. Potato value chain actors should also be supported in their groups and females trained in value addition and processing of potatoes to compete favorably with the male actors. Value chain actors need to access the necessary information on value addition through training, exposure visits, seminars, and on-farm visits by agriculture extension workers for follow-up.