Determinants of smallholder cattle farmers’ access to high-value cattle markets in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District, South Africa

The objective of this study was to determine factors affecting smallholder cattle farmers'participation in high-value cattle markets in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District, South Africa. A total of 109 smallholder cattle farmers were randomly selected and interviewed by using structured questionnaire. Descriptive and probit regression analysis were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science. The results revealed that the majority of the farmers: were males, married, not formally educated, had <10 years of cattle farming experience, did not participate in the most rewarding channels, used informal markets, received higher prices from the cattle markets nearer and regularly used. The statistically significant variables found to influence the cattle farmers’ participation in the high value formal markets from the probit regression analyses were number of heifers (Z=2.742: Sig. 0.006), keep farm-records (Z=2.611: Sig. 0.009), years in cattle farming (Z=-2.451: Sig. 0.014), and slaughtering cattle and selling as carcass (Z=-1.899: Sig. 0.054).