This paper analyses factors influencing market participation decisions and the level of commercialisation among maize and pigeonpea smallholder farmers in Tanzania. The study utilises cross-sectional farm household-level data collected in 2010 from a randomly selected sample of 700 smallholder farming households. The two-step decision-making process was analysed using a Heckman selectivity procedure. The results showed that fixed transaction costs associated with market information and household characteristics such as gender and education level of the household head had a statistically significant influence on market participation. Proportional transaction costs (distance to market) and variables such as output prices, farm size, labour force, membership of farmer associations and geographical location of households influenced both market participation and intensity of participation. The results suggest that policies aimed at improving rural road infrastructure, market information systems, smallholder asset accumulation, human capital and promotion of farmer association could reduce transaction costs and enhance market participation and marketed supply by smallholder farmers.

This article analyses the impact of market channel choice on household welfare by maize and pigeon pea smallholder farmers in Tanzania, using a multinomial endogenous treatment approach. The study utilises farm household-level data collected from a randomly selected sample of 700 smallholder farmers. The results show that participation with traders in nearby markets and wholesalers in nearby towns have a positive effect on consumption expenditure per capita relative to brokers at the farmgate, for both maize and pigeon pea-farming households. The study suggests that interventions that aimed at inclusion of smallholder farmers in more profitable markets could improve household welfare and reduce poverty among rural households.

This study analyzes the factors that influence the probability and extent of the adoption of mungbean production technologies in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, using multivariate probit and Poisson regression models. The results show that the probability and extent of the adoption of mungbean production technologies are influenced by gender of the household, household size, farm size, livestock size, household assets, access to extension services and access to credit. The study suggests that policy interventions that aimed at targeting women farmers, increasing household asset and information dissemination, such as field demonstrations and training programs, are crucial in enhancing technology adoption among smallholder farmers.