Factors influencing smallholder crop commercialisation: Evidence from Cte dIvoire

Abstract

In this study, we analysed factors that influence crop output commercialisation among smallholder farmers in Cote d'Ivoire. Unlike previous studies, we correct for sample selection bias by using the Heckman maximum likelihood sample selection model with village fixed effects. We rely on a unique and detailed dataset that covers 3,393 smallholder farmers. The dataset was gathered from the 2014 National employment survey collected by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) Cote d'Ivoire. Results from the study suggest that cooperative membership and land tenure security raise the level of marketed outputs of Ivorian farmers. Female headed households sold lower proportions of their outputs than their male counterparts. Labour shortage is a major constraint to crop output commercialisation. From a policy perspective, the Government should revive its interest in collective actions such as cooperatives, facilitate farmer's access to credit, improve food crop productivity and enhance mechanization.