Factors Influencing Profitability of Small-Scale Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) Production in Mvomero District, Tanzania

Hija Walad Mwatawala, Rowland Mponji, Minza Sesela

Abstract


This study carried out in Mvomero district, Tanzania. It aimed at analysing factors that influence the profitability of tomato production among smallholder farmers. The study involved a total of 220 farmers. The cross-sectional research design adopted whereby household survey and documentary review methods were used in collecting data. The collected were analyzed using SPSS software. Demographic characteristics of farmers analysed through descriptive statistics while multiple linear regression used to analyze factors influencing the profitability of tomato production. The study revealed that 86.4% of farmers are males and 80.0% of them married while 15.9% are singles. About 96% of farmers have only attained primary school education level. Also, results from gross margin analysis revealed that tomato farmers earned a gross margin of Tanzanian Shillings (TZS) 2,115,000 per acre, implying that tomato production is profitable in Mvomero District. In addition, findings from a multiple regression analysis revealed that explanatory variables such as farm size, farming experience, access to market information in form of inputs and output prices and absence of farmers’ groups significantly (p< .05) influenced tomato profitability. Therefore, the study concluded that tomato production is reasonably profitable and farming experience, absence of farmers’ groups, farm size and access to the market information are among the predictors which significantly influencing tomato profitability in study area. Furthermore, the study recommended that in order to increase profitability among farmers, training of farmers through seminars, workshops, and strengthening extension services and demonstration farm plots is fundamental. Also farmers should be encouraged to form groups/organization in order to facilitate smooth marketing of their products.


Keywords


Determinants, Gross Margin, Profitability, Smallholder farmers, Tomato

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.52155/ijpsat.v14.1.793

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