Background: Agricultural production by smallholder farm households is a means of livelihood for many rural households in developing economies, including Africa. Commercializing smallholder farmers in the agricultural sector is an indispensable path to boost economic growth and development of most developing countries, like Ethiopia. But, maize marketing has not been given due attention, which has potential production volume and marketability. Therefore, this study is designed to identify determinants of market participation decision and volume of supply among smallholder maize producer farmers in Southwest Ethiopia. Methods: Data for this study were collected through cross‑sectional survey from maize producer farm households. The primary data were generated by household survey using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. A both purposive and random sampling technique was used to draw an appropriate sample of 546 maize producer households for this cross-sectional survey study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and double-hurdle econometric model. Results: The result of the survey indicates that out of total 546 maize producers, 381 households are maize market participants and 165 households are non-participants. First hurdle model results show that nine variables—education level, farming experience, quantity of maize produced, cooperative membership, distance to nearest market, amount of credit received, off/non-farming income, number of oxen and perception about lagged price—significantly affect the market participation decision among maize producer farmers. The second hurdle result confirmed that seven variables—sex, family size, land allocated for maize, number of oxen, distance to nearest market, livestock holding and perception about lagged price—significantly affect the level of market participation by maize producer farmers. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that understanding the factors and its extent is very important for policy-making to address the problem of market participation decision and level of participation among smallholder farm households. Therefore, the study suggests that important resource and socio-economic factors must take into consideration to enhance the productivity and strength supportive institutions or infrastructural facilities in the study area to improve market participation decision and level of participation of smallholders.

Smallholders farming are responsible for a large proportion of Ethiopian food production. Sorghum is one of drought-tolerant crop which plays a crucial role in improving household food security level and source of income. However, there are different constraints which hinder the production and commercialization of cereal crops. Therefore, this study was aimed at identifying the determinants of sorghum producers’ commercialization in Kaffa, Sheka, and Bench Sheko Zones Southwest, Ethiopia. Data for the study were collected from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data were generated by a household survey using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Purposive and three-stage sampling techniques were used to draw 543 farmers. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and an econometric model. The Tobit model results indicated that sex of household head, educational level of household head, land under sorghum production, non/off-farm income, sorghum quantity produced, credit amount receive, and oxen were found to influences significantly the degree of commercialization. Policy implications drawn from the study findings include enhancing the productivity of land, strengthening supportive institutions and improving infrastructural facilities. Supporting female-headed households through different policy initiatives and interventions can improve their market participation decisions. Strengthening supportive institutions such as credit access and extension contact would motivate farm households to improve market participation.

Farmers depend on sesame farming as their major source of income in West Omo and Bench Sheko zones. However, they face diverse marketing challenges to deliver their product to the market. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the variables that affect sesame market supply in West Omo and Bench Sheko zones. The study’s data were gathered from primary and secondary sources. Multistage random sampling was employed to select 270 sample sesame producers. The analysis was done using descriptive statistics as well as econometric models. Multiple regression model results showed that total livestock unit, sesame farming experience, cooperative membership, family size, land under sesame, annual off-farm income, participation in training, and distance to the nearest market significantly affected the amount of sesame supplied to the market. The study recommends strengthening sesame producer cooperative, promoting experience sharing among experienced farmers, improving transportation accessibility and infrastructure development, increasing productivity by fortifying extension service providers, and encouraging sesame producers to participate actively in various trainings.

Motives: Agricultural sector in Ethiopia is characterized by its poor performance, despite the livelihoods of the large population of the country depends on agriculture. Sesame is an important cash crop and plays vital role in the livelihood of many people in Ethiopia. However a number of challenges hindered the development of sesame sector along with the productivity. Aim: This study attempted to analyze production efficiency of sesame producers in Bench Maji Zone of Southwest Ethiopia. The study used both primary and secondary data sources. Purposive sampling techniques were employed to draw 270 sesame producer farm households. Descriptive statistics and econometric models were used to analyze the data. Results: The estimated stochastic production frontier model indicated that input variables such as inorganic fertilizer, sesame seed, oxen power, labor and chemicals found to be important factors in increasing the level of sesame output in the study area. The result further revealed significant differences in production efficiency among sesame growing farmers in the study area. Applying the Cobb-Douglas functional form the average, technical, allocative and economic efficiencies found are 50.72%, 86.83% and 44.2% for sesame producers, respectively. Also among fourteen variables used in the analysis of determinants, experience in sesame farming, education level, farm income, total cultivated land, social responsibility, frequency of extension contact, participation in off/nonfarm activities, credit, proximity to market and soil fertility were found to be significant sources of technical, allocative and economic inefficiencies of sesame producer farmers. Strengthening education, extension service, credit access at affordable interest rate and accessibility of transport services and motivating farm household to participate different training as well as their experience sharing with other sesame producing farmers improve productivity of sesame production. Therefore, those important socioeconomic and institutional factors which are mentioned above must take into account to improve the productivity of sesame in the study area.