Exploring Commercialization Intensity Enhancing Determinants for Farmers: A Case Study of the Thulamela Municipality, Vhembe District

Agricultural commercialisation plays a crucial role in enhancing food security, alleviating poverty, and improving livelihoods through increased food production, income generation, and job creation, particularly in remote areas. The study investigated the commercialisation determinants contributing to farmers’ commercialisation efforts in the Thulamela Municipality, Vhembe district of Limpopo province, South Africa. A sample of 220 farmers was selected using simple random sampling without replacement technique, and data was collected through personal interviews. The Probit model was employed to identify key determinants of commercialisation intensity. The study findings revealed that gender, farming experience, independence, access to financial advice, and commodity lifecycle significantly and positively improved commercialisation intensity among farmers. Moreover, poor record keeping, untamed resource allocation, and overreliance on seasonal workers regressed commercialisation intensity among farmers. Therefore, the study recommends that gender imperatives should be investigated further to improve gender balance within agricultural commercialisation. The study also recommends that emerging farmers be capacitated about commodities with shorter lifecycles and high turnover profit as it enhances their commercialisation efforts.