Production constraints and their causes in the cacao industry in West Sumatra: from the farmers' perspective

Title
Production constraints and their causes in the cacao industry in West Sumatra: from the farmers' perspective
Publication Date
2013
Author(s)
Sefraidi, Hasnah
Villano, Renato
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2581-6623
Email: rvillan2@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:rvillan2
Fleming, Euan
Patrick, Ian
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Institute of Agricultural Management (IAgrM)
Place of publication
United Kingdom
DOI
10.5836/ijam/2014-01-05
UNE publication id
une:14378
Abstract
We use structural equation modelling to conduct a path analysis for cacao production in West Sumatra, Indonesia, quantifying the main constraints identified by farmers attempting to increase their incomes. Stakeholders in a workshop identified low yield of cacao trees and low quality of cacao beans as the two main production constraints, which are the focus of this study. Farm-level data from 100 smallholders were analysed to describe and estimate the dependencies between various factors and their relationship to farmers' income. Five variables - source of cacao seedlings, expenditure on pest and disease management, expenditure on fertilizer, frequency of pruning, and pest and disease attack - were hypothesized to influence the yield of cacao trees. Yet farmers considered only fertilizer expenditure to have the expected positive influence. They considered lack of capital to be a critical factor indirectly impeding fertilizing practices. Expectations that farmers would perceive that the quality of their cacao beans and their ability to bargain would affect the price they received proved incorrect.
Link
Citation
International Journal of Agricultural Management, 3(1), p. 30-42
ISSN
2047-3710
Start page
30
End page
42

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