Title: Determinants of farmers' participation in sales channels in Nicaragua: plantain case study

Authors: Jonathan Jose Vivas Aragon

Addresses: International Master Program of Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University, No. 145, Xingda Road, South District, Taichung City, 402, Taiwan

Abstract: Plantains are an important cultivar in Nicaragua, and while the production has increased in recent years, there is a lack of socio-economic research in this sector. This paper aims to study the factors that determine the farmer's decision on whether to sell or not sell their production. The starting point for this analysis came from a discrete choice framework, with the available information coming from the last national agricultural census. Using a binary logit model, variables related to household and production characteristics were evaluated. The main findings suggest that the farm's geographical location plays a vital role when farmers adopt a market-oriented production. Variables such as gender, access to financial resources, and assistance received show a positive and statistically significant effect. The marginal effects of the age and years of schooling of the head of the household suggest little effect of these factors on farmer's decisions.

Keywords: plantain; logit model; farmer's choice; market oriented production.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAITG.2021.115758

International Journal of Agriculture Innovation, Technology and Globalisation, 2021 Vol.2 No.1, pp.85 - 96

Received: 09 Jun 2019
Accepted: 18 May 2020
Published online: 21 Jun 2021 *