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Maize Market Channel Choices by A1 Resettled Farmers in Eastern Region of Zimbabwe: An Institutional View

Never Mafuse, Mushunje Abbysinia, Zivenge Emmanuael, Tatsvarei Simbarashe Muast

Agricultural markets facilitate the mechanisms of food exchange, coordination and allocation of many agricultural goods and services by and between people in Zimbabwean economy. These markets often assume a solution to the problem of poverty among smallholder farmers. This study analysed the influence of institutional factors on marketing channel choices of A1 maize farmers in eastern region of Zimbabwe. Generally, maize farmers’ have two choices to sell their product, which are formal and informal market. Eleven independent variables were considered for the study and a binary logistic regression model was used for the analysis. The study found out that, cooperative membership, road condition, contractual farming arrangements, access to financial credit and transport cost to market were significant at 5% level. The study recommends that the government should correct maize market institutional deficiencies so as to improve the welfare of A1 maize farmers.