Institutional Arrangements for Marketing Non-Coffee Produce by Primary AMCOS in Tanzania

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.