A Dissertation is submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the
Degree of Masters of Science in Procurement and Supply Chain Management
(Msc PSCM) of Mzumbe University
The study assessed cashewnut production in high income generation to small holder
cashewnut farmers in Tanzania. The study was guided by four specific objectives
including factors affecting cashewnut production, situation on marketing processes
in cashewnut production, value additions in cashewnut production and mitigating
challenges. Mixed method approach was used and applied in the study which
fosters the acquisition of primary data for the study which were basically collected
from the cashewnut board of Tanzania, farmers and shareholders. Primary data
were used to ensure the generation of new information from the field to fill the
study gap from the sample of 122 respondents. Primary data were gathered using
questionnaires, focus group discussions and interviews which captured the new data
relevant for the study to fill the gap. The data collected through questionnaires were
filled in the SPSS program to generate statistics to present the results. Data
collected through interviews and focus group discussions were analyzed through
content analyses which were narratively presented with themes to support the
results. Correlation and multiple regressions were used to analyze the existing
relationship between independent and dependent variables for quantitative
information. Findings showed that three independent variables were found to be
positive and statistically significant on the dependent variable on the mitigating
challenges. This implied that high income generation in cashewnut production is
affected by poor value addition, limited commodity marketing and production
process. Besides that, cashewnut production is still in unpleasant situation such that
further measures are required to be implemented first to improve the situation.
Furthermore, value additions and marketing of the commodities are still poor with
further measures required to improve the situation. The implication of the results is
that cashewnut production is indeed affected by the value addition and marketing
situation which constitute effect on the production process affecting income
generation among small holder farmers. Regardless of that, the study recommended
that for cashewnut production, value addition and marketing to assure high income
generation among small holder farmers there must be improvement in the facilities
such as industries and farming conditions such as subsidies and all other remedies
and requirements that assures effective output to improve the lives of small holder
farmers in terms of income.