Cluster Farming as a Collective Marketing Strategy for Organic Products: Evidence from Smallholder Farmer Clusters in CALABARZON
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65166/706a0j51Keywords:
cluster farming, organic products, smallholder farmers, collective marketing, agricultural marketing, CALABARZONAbstract
Cluster farming has been promoted as a collective strategy for improving the market participation of smallholder farmers, particularly in contexts where producers face limited bargaining power, fragmented supply, high post-harvest losses, and dependence on intermediaries. The study aimed to assess cluster farming as a marketing strategy for organic products among farmer clusters in CALABARZON. A descriptive-correlational design was used, with 113 cluster farmer members and affiliates selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered using a three-part questionnaire covering respondent profile, cluster farming characteristics and attributes, and farmer perceptions of financial, production, market, and management outcomes. The instrument reported acceptable reliability across all dimensions. Frequency, percentage, weighted mean, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation were used for data analysis. Results showed that most respondents were regular cluster members with one to three years of membership, primarily engaged in vegetable production, had high school-level educational attainment, earned PHP 5,000-PHP 15,000 monthly, and were familiar with organic farming. Respondents generally agreed that cluster farming characteristics and attributes were present, with stronger perceptions in production and management than in financial and market dimensions. Several perceptions differed significantly by membership affiliation, length of membership, membership position, and nature of farm produce. Cluster farming characteristics and attributes were also significantly related to perceived financial, production, market, and management outcomes. The findings suggest that cluster farming may strengthen smallholder coordination, production capability, and market readiness, although conclusions remain limited by the descriptive-correlational design and purposive sampling.
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