Horticulture value chain mapping: An Illustration of participating youths in Tabora Municipality, United Republic of Tanzania

Abstract

Youth participation in Tanzanian agriculture sector especially in horticulture subsector is not satisfactory in spite of promising prospects unveiled in the subsector. The understanding on participating status of the youths along horticultural value chains is crucial to design strategies for attracting more youths in the subsector. Such understanding is not well known despite its essentiality stated.  This study used the youths from Tabora Municipality as a case to understand horticultural value chain maps and respective coordination mechanisms along the chains. The study adopted a mixed data collection techniques of digitalized youth survey and focus group discussions with descriptive and content analysis as methods of analysis used. It was then found that the youths participate in value chain nodes such as production, processing, storing, local trading, transporting, wholesaling, retailing and consumption with differing participation frequency. For instance, none of the studied youth farmers were found operating registered processing firm due to capital limitation at their disposal. Youth farmers were also found to perform activities beyond one node (multitasking) of value chains with little efficiency. Another notable finding was that youth farmers were missing reliable extension, credit and quality accreditation services that jeopardize productivity and their operating business environment. Coordination was eventually found miserable as youth actors along the chain were not trusting each other. Finally, for attracting more youths into the subsector, the study recommended institutional arrangements like contract farming being adopted in the subsector given the prevailing nature of horticultural crops and status of the actors along the chains.