Abstract:
The importance of cooperatives to engage into multiple crop marketing has attracted
majority stakeholders on marking other crops alongside traditional crops. Marketing
involves Supply as cooperative options for building resilience to future market shocks
resulted by marketing single crop. This paper was based on marketing institutional
arrangements in marketing none coffee produce by primary AMCOS in Tanzania,
evidence from Karagwe, Muleba, Buhigwe and Kigoma districts. Specifically, the paper
was to; examine the possible marketing arrangements in marketing none coffee produce
and assess the available stakeholders in marketing of non-coffee produce as market
opportunity. The study was based on Resource Based Theory (RBT); where, crops which
is farmers resource that for long time, cooperatives has not been utilizing. A total of 19
primary cooperatives were sampled. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was used to
interview members of the primary AMCOS. The findings of this study revealed that; in
marketing arrangements on marketing none-coffee produce it revealed marketing
strategies which were; Accommodation of Marketing conditions for optimal marketing
requirements, the use of locally available materials for storage before selling of produce,
controlling middlemen for sustainable marketing and marketing arrangement depending
on crops types and requirements. Others were; seasonality marketing based on crop
seasons, payment on delivery, marketing through contractual farming and business
networks. Also, the study concluded that, each crops needs its own marketing
arrangement to expand business markets so as to raise the farm gate price among
farmers. The paper recommends to all primary traditional agricultural cooperatives to
make assessments of the available crops that can be marketed by these primary
cooperatives. Also, the paper recommends to TCDC, and Ministry responsible for
cooperatives, to assist agricultural cooperative in business marketing arrangements to
venture into multiple crop business.
