This study examines maize commercialisation intensity, determinants, and the major constraints confronting smallholder maize farmers in Tolon District of Northern Ghana. A cross-section of 125 maize farmers was selected through a multistage sampling procedure. The study measures commercialisation intensity using the Household Maize Commercialisation Index and employs a fractional logit model with robust standard errors to identify associated factors. The constraints of farmers were analysed through the Friedman test and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance. The results showed that 52.5% of the maize harvested had 70.5 medium-level market participants. Commercialisation intensity was positively correlated with education, household size, area cultivated with maize and access to market information. But negatively correlated with gender, farming experience, distance to market, transportation costs and access to credit. The farmers perceived low output prices, high production costs, and price fluctuations as three major challenges with substantial agreement. The study recommends improving access to farm inputs, strengthening maize markets and price information systems to expand collective marketing arrangements. These measures can improve the profitability and sustainability of smallholder maize commercialisation in Northern Ghana. Read more

The current study investigates issues related to the Commercialization of Agriculture in Saudi Arabia in the light of various theories of sustainable agriculture. The rationale for this study is needed to investigate the importance of a Commercialization of the agriculture sector as the country diversifies its sources of revenue. The aim of the government is to reinvigorate the country’s once-thriving agricultural sector in the interests of food security by minimizing its need for food importation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with farm workers and managers to elicit their views on the current state of agriculture in Saudi Arabia, the challenges they faced due to arid climatic conditions, and their opinions as to what needed to be prioritized in government agrarian policies. The key findings which emerged from thematic analysis are then presented and discussed. The study concludes with recommendations that the participants considered important for facing the challenges to sustainable agriculture in desert regions. Read more