Determinants of Youth Engagement in Cashew Nut Production in Ruangwa District, Tanzania

Abstract

This study examines the factors influencing youth engagement in cashew nut production in Ruangwa District, Tanzania, where empirical evidence remains limited. A cross-sectional research design employing multistage sampling was used to select 96 youths engaged in cashew nut production in Chienjele ward. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. The descriptive statistics revealed that 46.9% of farmers grew local varieties, with the majority harvesting between 100 and 399kg, at a mean farm size of 1.29. The binary logistic regression results revealed that source of income (p< 0.01), farm size (p< 0.01), price of cashew nut (p< 0.05) and land ownership (p< 0.05) were found to have positive and statistically significant influencing youth engagement indicating that youths with reliable income sources, access to larger farm sizes, ownership of land, and higher market prices are more likely to engage in cashew nut production. Distance to the nearest market (p < 0.1) and access to market information (p < 0.01) were significantly negatively associated with youth engagement, suggesting that logistical challenges and limited access to market information discourage youth participation in cashew nut production. The findings indicate that improving market access, providing accurate and timely market information, and enhancing land ownership opportunities could motivate greater youth participation in the cashew value chain. The study recommends that policymakers and development actors prioritise targeted interventions to improve access to resources and market linkages, thereby fostering inclusive and sustainable youth engagement in cashew nut production.