Maize and bean marketing in Benin the peasant farmer’s choice of marketing outlet

In this chapter the peasant farmer’s choice of marketing outlet for maize and beans is analyzed on the basis of a survey among large peasant farmers in Benin. Two main types of outlet are available: physical markets and buyers coming to the farmgate. Actors within and outside the farm household play a role in decisions relating to the choice of outlet. Variables related to the farm household as well as factors relating to the market environment appear to affect the choice of outlet. Hypotheses are formulated and tested by means of logistic regression analysis. The variables ‘crop choice of the previous year’, ‘acreage cultivated with the crop’, ‘the number of sources used for market information’, and ‘preference for the farmgate as outlet’ were found to have a positive influence on the probability of peasant farmers choosing buyers at the farmgate. A negative relationship was found for the variable ‘number of markets in the evoked set’ and the probability of choosing buyers at the farmgate.