Factors influencing the level of vegetable value chain participation and implications on smallholder farmers in Swayimane KwaZulu-Natal

ABSTR A C T Governments in less developed countries have identified the need to support smallholder farmers and intervene to alleviate poverty and positively contribute to household food security. In Africa, there has been a growing emphasis on value chain development so that smallholder farmers can benefit from participation in agricultural value chains. Smallholder farmers are however still faced with constraints that negatively influence their participation decisions and the level of participation in agricultural value chains. This study, therefore, inves-tigated the factors that influence the level of value chain participation and implications on smallholder farmers in KwaZulu-Natal, Swayimane area. Primary data was collected from farming households selected through a pur-posive sampling technique. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and the nehurdle model. Results from the nehurdle model showed that the age of the respondent, marital status, farm income, household size, cooperative, market information, radio, extension officer, and formal education significantly influenced the participation decisions of smallholder farmers in agricultural value chains. The results further showed that off -farm income, marital status, cooperatives, access to credit, access to irrigation scheme, radio, extension officer, contact with non-government organizations, and formal education significantly influenced the level of value chain participation of the smallholder farmers. It can be concluded that the level of endowment in the physical, financial, and human resources influence participation. Further, the farmer's connectivity with the external world outside the village improves the outcomes and level of success. It is recommended that a market-led approach to farmer development be adopted to improve the commercial prospects of farmers whilst bolstering food security.