dc.description.abstract |
Small-scale farmers face many constraints that impede them from taking advantage of
market opportunities. The successful adoption of collective marketing techniques
depends on farmers' willingness to adopt decision-making and management systems
based on trust and shared goals. However, it has been noted and reported that over half
of the collective action groups in Kenya fail due to poor governance. Few studies have
attempted to address the effect of governance on smallholder farmers' participation in
collective marketing, thereby leaving a dearth gap in the existing literature. The study's
primary purpose was to identify and analyze the effect of governance on participation
and extent of participation of smallholder farmers in the collective marketing of maize
in Uasin Gishu County. The specific objectives were to establish the effect of gender-
inclusive leadership, evaluate the effect of participatory leadership, determine the effect
of leadership training and the effect of level of cooperation on participation and extent
of participation of smallholder farmers in collective marketing. The study was guided
by the theories of Collective Marketing and Collective Bargaining. The study
population was 512 members drawn from 21 Farmer Organizations (FOs) that
participate in collective marketing of maize in Uasin Gishu County. The sample size of
the study was 156 members. This sample was picked from the FO in proportion to their
population. Primary data was collected through questionnaires. Quantitative data were
analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, percentage, standard deviation, ratio
and frequency distribution. The Heckman two-stage selection model was used to
determine the effect of governance on participation and extent of participation of small
holder farmers in collective marketing. The findings showed that the level of
cooperation had a significant positive effect on collective marketing (β=0.796,
p=0.034) and participation (β=0.117, p=0.041). Leadership training positively affected
market participation (β=0.507, p=0.015) and had no effect on the level of market
participation (β=-0.066, p=0.231). More findings showed that participatory leadership
had no effect on market participation (β=-0.015, p=0.282) but had a positive effect on
the level of market participation (β=0.029, p=0.003). However, gender inclusivity did
not affect both market participation and the level of market participation. Thus, the
study concluded that the level of cooperation, leadership training, and participatory
leadership are vital determinants of market participation. It is therefore prudent for
members of farmer organizations to have the knowledge and to fully participate in
marketing activities. Leaders need to work with members to realize the collective
potential of the group. There is a need for collective marketing, management, and
organizational development training programs to align skills with the marketing
strategies to improve the process of marketing among smallholder farmers |
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