Abstract:
Participation in cash crop production in rural households is a vital strategy in assuring
better income and a key factor to lifting rural households from poverty. The aim of this study
was to analyze factors influencing farmers participation in production participation, extent
of participation, market supply, and assessing marketing performance of sesame crop among
smallholder farmers’ in Kamba district of Gamo zone; southern Ethiopia. The study
employed cross-sectional data collected from randomly selected 380 household heads during
2018/19 production season. Both descriptive statistics and econometric model applied. The
econometrics model such as Double hurdle and multiple regression models were applied to
analyze the data. S-c-p paradigm model is also used to assess the performance of sesame
market in the study area by only employing channel analyze and market margin
determination. The results of the study attests that farm landholding size, distance to
extension service, sex, off-farm activities, distance to nearest market and education level
significantly explain the decision to produce sesame. On other hand, the farm size, farming
experience, number of active labor and staple food availability determine the level of sesame
production participation considerably. Furthermore, the study will expected to verify farm
size, distance to extension service center, family size, market price, and education level
significantly determines the market supply of sesame in the study area. The implication is
that livelihood improvement could be assisted through better participation of smallholders in
sesame production and marketing in the area. Farm size is an important variable which
influences both production decision and extent of farmers’ participation in sesame product.
