Farmers’ Perspectives on Agricultural Marketing Information in Developing Countries: The Case of Tanzania

Abstract

Marketing information enhances farmer’s decision to increase production and productivity of agricultural commodities. This paper examines farmers’ perspectives on agricultural marketing information in developing countries, with a case study focusing on three districts in Tanzania. Data were obtained from a survey conducted on 291 maize farmers in the three districts namely Arusha (103 farmers), Njombe (100 farmers) and Kongwa (88 farmers), selected from three regions in Tanzania Mainland. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the percentage distributions of the farmers based on socio-economic characteristics and Likert scale ratings of the farmers’ levels of agreement with the debriefing questions constructed to evaluate their perceptions. The analysis of the socio-economic variables of the farmers suggests male dominance in maize farming, predominant youthful farming demographics, predominantly large household Size, and predominance of low-level educational backgrounds among maize farmers in the study areas. The results of the socio-economic characteristics underscore the importance of targeted policies to support maize farmers, focusing on education, youth engagement, and household resource management. The overall result of farmers’ perceptions of agricultural marketing information indicates a widespread agreement across districts highlighting the shared challenges and priorities among maize farmers in Tanzania, particularly indicating that farmers recognize the benefits of agricultural services and understand the importance of communication infrastructure for economic development. The study thus, recommends establishment of local marketing information centers to reduce costs and time associated with gathering market information, enhancement of digital literacy to train farmers, and collaboration with critical stakeholders; such as government, private sector, and non-profits organizations to fund and sustain marketing information infrastructure for farmers. Investments in communication and marketing infrastructure will bridge information gaps, enhance market access, and ultimately drive economic development among maize farmers. This structured approach will not only improve maize farmers’ productivity but also contribute to broader rural development goals.