Determinants of Market Choices Among Beef Cattle Farmers in uMgungundlovu District of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa

Globally, the demand for beef and beef-related products has significantly escalated over the past decade. This study aimed to evaluate the factors influencing the market participation of smallholder beef cattle farmers in uMgungundlovu, South Africa. The study employed a cross-sectional research design, which followed a mixed-methods approach to collect data. Survey data were collected from smallholder cattle farmers from the uMgungundlovu District in KwaZulu-Natal using a semi-structured questionnaire. Purposive sampling was employed to select four local municipalities from the uMgungundlovu District out of a total of seven, whereas a simple random sampling was used to recruit farmers. The sampling was conducted using Microsoft Excel, whereby each farmer was allocated a random number, and then the required sample was generated from those numbers. To determine factors that influence farmers’ market choice, a multinomial logit regression model was used. A significant proportion of the farmers (43.1%) were aged between 51 and 70, followed by 35.5% aged 31 to 50. Just under half (48.2%) of farmers had received formal training in livestock production. This finding (p < 0.001) reinforces the central role of education in income determination. Better-educated individuals tend to earn more and diversify their income sources. This study underpinned that the livestock farming population is dominated by primarily middle-aged, male, semi-educated, and resource-poor individuals, and they rely significantly on traditional farming methods and government assistance. The multinomial logit regression revealed that farmers’ market choices are influenced by education level, extension service quality, access to quality bulls, and breeding knowledge significantly influenced farmers’ market choices. Specifically, secondary and tertiary education reduced the likelihood of participating in auction markets relative to informal markets, while limited breeding knowledge and poor extension services further constrained participation in formal channels.