Marketing Challenges Faced by Seaweed Farmers in Zanzibar, Tanzania

Aim/Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the marketing challenges faced by Zanzibar’s seaweed producers and to recommend suitable strategies.

Methodology: A case study approach was adopted. The study combined semi-structured questionnaires and informal group discussions with the farmers as tools for primary data collection. A total of 592 seaweed farmers from both Unguja and Pemba participated in the study. The farmers were selected through multistage sampling. Analysis of challenges was done through the Garrett ranking method.

Results: It was found that the leading marketing challenges for seaweed farmers are the absence of minimum selling price (MSP), limited buyers and the inability to set prices. The absence of MSP was linked to the absence of the industry’s supporting policies. At the same time, limited buyers emanated from the lack of the industry’s business strategy, limited linkage to the domestic market and lack of export differentiation. Farmers’ inability to set prices was found to be a result of exporters’ setting buying prices. Similarly, the study found that the farmers face intense competition due to limited production variety and being large in number. Farmers also were found to have limited marketing and promotional skills and lacked business strategies.

Conclusion: Several interventions are required to support the seaweed farmers in Zanzibar. First, the creation of guiding industry’s business and marketing/product strategies. Further creation of the industry’s guiding and supporting policies is crucial. Second, establishing domestic demand and linking the industry to its potential users at individual and industrial levels is critical for the survival of Zanzibar’s seaweed industry. Third, the establishment of carrageenan extraction industries to establish export product differentiation. Capacity-building training is vital for farmers in agri-business and financial management areas. Government procurement and provision of storage facilities to minimise the offloading challenge are also needed to lessen the effect of same-time offloading, which exposes farmers to low prices. Lastly, financial assistance should also be provided to promote and upscale seaweed value-addition activities on the island.

Originality/Value: Examination of marketing challenges faced by seaweed farmers in Zanzibar was conducted using the Garrett ranking technique, and suitable recommendations were proposed.