An analysis of factors influencing farmer participation in cattle marketing in Nyagatare district, Rwanda

Abstract

Cattle keeping, significantly contributes to income generation and livelihood improvement of the rural poor in Rwanda. People keep cattle for home use and to sell at the market. Many farmers do not participate in the cattle market, which is a step in commercialization. Therefore, there is a need to analyze factors that determine farmers' participation in the cattle market. The purpose of this study was to assess the contribution of various factors on the probability of farmers' participation in markets. A binary logistic regression model was applied to primary data collected from 144 sampled households. The partial effects of the statistically significant variables on conditional probabilities were used to determine the effect of changes in the respective variables on the probability of selling livestock. The study revealed that birth of new calves, owning other livestock, extension service, group membership and number of household dependants were logical and statistically significant determinants of farmers' decision to sell their livestock. This calls for policy interventions towards of these factors to urge priority attention by stakeholders, particularly in the formulation of institutional innovations. The results imply there is a need to improve infrastructure and government intervention in order to alleviate constraints that hinder participation in the cattle markets.