Effect of Farm Level Activities on Productivity of the Coffee Value Chain in Rwanda: A Case Study of Gatsibo District, Rwanda

Abstract

The coffee sector in Rwanda is vital to the country's economy by providing a source of foreign exchange and employment, especially for smallholder farmers in rural areas. Farm level activities in the coffee value chain   affect the quantity and quality of coffee produced in Rwanda. Farmer level activities have been blamed for the continued drop in quality of Rwanda coffee in the recent past, leading to poor quality and low productivity. This study aimed at determining the effect of farmer level activities on productivity of the coffee value chain in Rwanda. The study adopted a descriptive survey design as the study design. The target population for this study was 178 coffee famers from Muhura sector. Purposive sampling was used to select the sector while  simple random sampling was used to get the respondents who are near Muhura Coffee washing station. The station has operated for more than five years. Coffee farmers who have been growing coffee for the last five years were selected.  A sample size of 120 was obtained using the formula by Yamaro (1960). The study relied on primary data that was collected   using questionnaires that consisted of both open and close-ended questions. Data from the questionnaires was then coded and entered into the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) for analysis. Descriptive analysis specifically frequency and percentage constituted descriptive statistics for the study. Correlation analysis generate inferential statistic, which helped in estimating association between the study variables. Study findings were presented using tables and bar graphs. The study findings revealed that there was a positive significant relationship between support services, cost of production, good agricultural practices and productivity of coffee value chain (r=.321 P<0.01, r=.267 P<0.01, r=.608 P<0.01) respectively.