Impact of AMCOS Performance on The Welfare of Smallholder Farmers in Masasi District Council

Omari, Hussein (2023) Impact of AMCOS Performance on The Welfare of Smallholder Farmers in Masasi District Council. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

This study assessed the impact of Agricultural and Marketing Cooperative Societies on the welfare of smallholder cashew nut farmers in Masasi District, Tanzania. The study focused on the cashew nut smallholder farmers in the area. In particular, the study assessed the influence of financial investment education, price negotiation, and input provision on the welfare performance of smallholder cashew nut farmers. Farm economics, development model, and utility theory form the study's foundation. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed in conducting the study. The quantitative data was collected from 248 Agricultural and Marketing Cooperative Society members using a questionnaire, while the qualitative data was collected through 6 in-depth interviews with cooperative officers. Simple random sampling was used to get respondents from the two Agricultural and Marketing Cooperative Societies (Nanganga and Mpakani) who formed the unit of analysis in this study. Quantitative data was analyzed through multiple regression models. Qualitative data collected via interview guide for study objectives was analyzed through content analysis. The findings revealed that financial investment education, price negotiation, and input provision had a significant impact on the welfare of smallholder cashew nut farmers for many of its variables, while a few of them showed no significant. The study recommends The study recommends fostering strong connections between smallholder farmers and their AMCOS, advocating for collaboration among TCDC, Ministry of Agriculture, and Moshi Co-operative University to provide comprehensive training to AMCOS management through the District Agricultural and Co-operative officer at Masasi District Council, thereby improving financial investment knowledge of AMCOS members, and suggests the implementation of a subsidy system by the Ministry of Agriculture to support smallholder farmers, ensuring accessibility to affordable inputs and enhancing overall performance Keywords: Agricultural and Marketing Cooperative Societies, small-holder cashew farmers, price negotiation, welfare performance.

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