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The study examines the supply chain for fresh fruits and vegetables in cities. In particular, the study determines the functions of intermediaries in the supply chain for fresh fruits and vegetables in urban settings. The study is qualitative with an ethnographic design. The study involved a sample of 92 participants obtained purposively. Data are obtained using In-Depth Interviews (IDIs), document reviews and researchers’ observations. Findings demonstrate that intermediaries typically facilitate transportation services that involve the collection, packing and handling facility selection, and delivery of fruits and vegetables. Secondly, intermediaries provide efficient storage services for storing fruits and vegetables and education about proper storage practices. Thirdly, intermediaries have involved value addition and improvement of the quality of fruits and vegetables through sorting, grading, gathering, inspection, branding, and packing. Fourthly, they execute marketing services and facilitate information flow and exchange. It is presented that to enhance intermediaries’ roles, there is a need to improve the road infrastructure networks and control corruption among unethical police officers. There is a great need to strengthen electricity. This will facilitate a reliable power supply that will enhance the easy storage of fruits and vegetables. Farmers and intermediaries need more education on quality, and financial assistance. This will support the continuum of the fresh fruits and vegetable supply chain.

Natural Rubber (NR) is an important agricultural product utilized in various sectors. NR is one of the world's biggest industries and a critical component in many industries such as automotive, manufacturing, and medicine. Liberia is a top producer of NR with over 127 years of production history. However, since 2014, Liberia's NR net production has decreased by 0.7% year on year and has fallen behind Sri Lanka. NR production in Liberia has experienced scant performance due to many factors. In this project, we employ mixed-method research to examine the factors influencing the decline of the Liberian NR supply chain and propose solutions that will further stimulate the industry's growth. We conduct an MCDM study among 34 smallholder rubber farmers from Grand Bassa, Margibi and Bong counties. Their grading of ten policy objectives and recommendations are programmed using Fuzzy AHP.

Food commodities play an important role in income increase of people, job opportunities, and regional and national development.  Competitiveness of food commodities needs for community welfare increase and national food security and sovereignty.  The aims of this research were: (1) to analysis of competitiveness of strategic food commodities in Lampung Province, (2) to analyze the impact of changes of input and output prices against of strategic food commodities in Lampung Province, and (3) to know the policy of suitable minimum prices of strategic food commodities in Lampung Province. This research conducted in Lampung Province from September 2013 to September 2014.  The regencies as a sample selected by purposive sampling were Middle Lampung, North Lampung, South Lampung, and East Lampung.  The determination of the farmers used stratified simple random sampling. The sample in this study was 120 respondents. The results showed that the farming of strategic food commodities (paddy and corn) had PCR and DCR value less than one point.  Strategic food commodities had lesser value due to an increase in fertilizer price and a decline in output prices.  The competitiveness of strategic food commodities in Lampung Province was sensitive to output prices decrease.  The policy of the minimum price of paddy at least two times greater than the price of corn.

Despite the national increase in banana production, Kepok banana farmers in Sikka Regency have experienced a sharp decline in both production and income. This study aims to analyze the factors affecting the income of Kepok banana farmers in Sikka Regency by examining the role of production as a mediating variable between key determinants—price, land area, labor, and capital—and income levels. The study employs a quantitative research approach using survey methods to collect primary data from Kepok banana farmers in Sikka Regency. The sampling technique applied is simple random sampling, ensuring proportional representation from 21 sub-districts. Out of a total population of 2,123 farmers, a final sample of 354 farmers was randomly selected. The collected data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) through SmartPLS to examine the relationships. The study found that price, land area, labor, and capital all have a positive and significant impact on the production of Kepok bananas in Sikka Regency. Production itself plays a crucial role in influencing farmers' income, alongside price, land area, labor, and capital, all of which have a direct positive and significant effect on income. Production mediates the relationship between price, labor, and capital with farmers' income, indicating that these factors contribute to higher production, which in turn increases income. However, production does not mediate the effect of land area on income, suggesting that while land expansion increases production, its direct impact on income may be influenced by other factors beyond production volume alone.

Despite the critical role played by intermediaries in storage services of urban fresh fruits and vegetables, storage services of urban fresh fruits and vegetables in Dar es Salaam are still poorly provided by intermediaries. In this paper, we examine the factors constraining intermediaries in providing storage services in the sector. A qualitative case study was adopted and data were collected using documentary review, in-depth interviews, and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and non-participant observations based on the purposive sample size of 73 respondents. Thematic data analysis strategy was adopted and data were analyzed using MAXQDA 20 software. Findings showed that the intermediaries are generally constrained by technological-related factors, the inadequacy of funds to invest in modern storage, limited knowledge and awareness of modern storage, excessive temperature and atmospheric conditions. We recommend that, in order to improve storage services installation of modern storage facilities in markets and collection centers, providing loans to intermediaries to buy modern packaging and packing facilities, improving market infrastructures, and training intermediaries on the importance of proper storage and how to use contemporary methodology could solve the problem at hand.

The adoption of plausible strategic marketing deliverables within the sustainable agricultural ecosystem remains a challenge for small-scale growers due to scarce resources and constraint capabilities.  The prospects of expediting access to markets and points of sale, which properly established and capacitated enterprises dominate, contain the ability for small-scale growers to commercialise their hard-earned crops and produce. This study unpacks the strategic marketing techniques and tools that small-scale growers could utilize to mitigate their active participation in the complex agricultural business ecosystem. The body of literature explicated various considerations that could be integrated into an attempt to demystify the common challenges and constraints that conform the small growers from the marking mix context and perspective. A positivism-oriented philosophy of the quantitative methodology was utilized in the study to solicit the description of the variables that constitute the elucidation of the strategic phenomenon in the study. The findings revealed that various marketing tools could provide constructive and beneficial advantages for small growers if applied efficaciously and correctly. The findings further indicated that packaging the marketing mixes intervention such as channels, segmenting positioning, channel, target market, and promotion could accelerate the small growers' attainment of sustainable competitive advantage within the broader scope of commercializing their enterprises.

Despite the national increase in banana production, Kepok banana farmers in Sikka Regency have experienced a sharp decline in both production and income. This study aims to analyze the factors affecting the income of Kepok banana farmers in Sikka Regency by examining the role of production as a mediating variable between key determinants—price, land area, labor, and capital—and income levels. The study employs a quantitative research approach using survey methods to collect primary data from Kepok banana farmers in Sikka Regency. The sampling technique applied is simple random sampling, ensuring proportional representation from 21 sub-districts. Out of a total population of 2,123 farmers, a final sample of 354 farmers was randomly selected. The collected data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) through SmartPLS to examine the relationships. The study found that price, land area, labor, and capital all have a positive and significant impact on the production of Kepok bananas in Sikka Regency. Production itself plays a crucial role in influencing farmers' income, alongside price, land area, labor, and capital, all of which have a direct positive and significant effect on income. Production mediates the relationship between price, labor, and capital with farmers' income, indicating that these factors contribute to higher production, which in turn increases income. However, production does not mediate the effect of land area on income, suggesting that while land expansion increases production, its direct impact on income may be influenced by other factors beyond production volume alone.

The study examines the supply chain for fresh fruits and vegetables in cities. In particular, the study determines the functions of intermediaries in the supply chain for fresh fruits and vegetables in urban settings. The study is qualitative with an ethnographic design. The study involved a sample of 92 participants obtained purposively. Data are obtained using In-Depth Interviews (IDIs), document reviews and researchers’ observations. Findings demonstrate that intermediaries typically facilitate transportation services that involve the collection, packing and handling facility selection, and delivery of fruits and vegetables. Secondly, intermediaries provide efficient storage services for storing fruits and vegetables and education about proper storage practices. Thirdly, intermediaries have involved value addition and improvement of the quality of fruits and vegetables through sorting, grading, gathering, inspection, branding, and packing. Fourthly, they execute marketing services and facilitate information flow and exchange. It is presented that to enhance intermediaries’ roles, there is a need to improve the road infrastructure networks and control corruption among unethical police officers. There is a great need to strengthen electricity. This will facilitate a reliable power supply that will enhance the easy storage of fruits and vegetables. Farmers and intermediaries need more education on quality, and financial assistance. This will support the continuum of the fresh fruits and vegetable supply chain.

Natural Rubber (NR) is an important agricultural product utilized in various sectors. NR is one of the world's biggest industries and a critical component in many industries such as automotive, manufacturing, and medicine. Liberia is a top producer of NR with over 127 years of production history. However, since 2014, Liberia's NR net production has decreased by 0.7% year on year and has fallen behind Sri Lanka. NR production in Liberia has experienced scant performance due to many factors. In this project, we employ mixed-method research to examine the factors influencing the decline of the Liberian NR supply chain and propose solutions that will further stimulate the industry's growth. We conduct an MCDM study among 34 smallholder rubber farmers from Grand Bassa, Margibi and Bong counties. Their grading of ten policy objectives and recommendations are programmed using Fuzzy AHP.

Despite the critical role played by intermediaries in storage services of urban fresh fruits and vegetables, storage services of urban fresh fruits and vegetables in Dar es Salaam are still poorly provided by intermediaries. In this paper, we examine the factors constraining intermediaries in providing storage services in the sector. A qualitative case study was adopted and data were collected using documentary review, in-depth interviews, and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and non-participant observations based on the purposive sample size of 73 respondents. Thematic data analysis strategy was adopted and data were analyzed using MAXQDA 20 software. Findings showed that the intermediaries are generally constrained by technological-related factors, the inadequacy of funds to invest in modern storage, limited knowledge and awareness of modern storage, excessive temperature and atmospheric conditions. We recommend that, in order to improve storage services installation of modern storage facilities in markets and collection centers, providing loans to intermediaries to buy modern packaging and packing facilities, improving market infrastructures, and training intermediaries on the importance of proper storage and how to use contemporary methodology could solve the problem at hand.