Socio-Economic Evaluation of Youth Participation in High-Value Horticultural Value Chains in Southern Rwanda

African Journal of Agriculture | Vol. 13, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 186–193

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJA/000757

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Socio-Economic Evaluation of Youth Participation in High-Value Horticultural Value Chains in Southern Rwanda

Names of Authors: Jean de Dieu Niyomugabo¹, Marie Claire Uwiringiyimana¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Rwanda, Nyagatare, Rwanda

Abstract: Rural youth unemployment remains a major structural challenge across East Africa, yet high-value vegetable and fruit value chains offer lucrative pathways for rural employment and wealth creation. This study investigated the socio-economic determinants and financial outcomes of rural youth participation in commercial tomato and sweet pepper value chains in southern Rwanda. A multi-stage random sampling approach was used to interview 320 youth farmers (aged 18–35 years) across four administrative districts. Double-hurdle econometric modeling was deployed to isolate the factors driving the choice to enter horticulture from the factors dictating the scale of commercial market participation. The empirical findings showed that 38.4% of the sampled youth were actively engaged in commercial horticulture. The first-stage probit results indicated that access to specialized vocational training, ownership of land, proximity to paved transit corridors, and participation in youth savings groups significantly increased the probability of entering high-value markets (p < 0.01). The second-stage regression revealed that the volume of produce sold was heavily constrained by lack of access to cold-storage facilities and formal contract agreements. Financial margin analysis revealed that youth growers engaged in micro-irrigation earned a mean net income of US$ 1,450 per season, which was 64.0% higher than the local average wage. The study concludes that rural youth development programs should prioritize investments in localized irrigation assets and market connection contracts.

Keywords: Double-hurdle model, Youth employment, Horticulture value chains, Market participation, Vegetable farming, Income transformation

Manuscript Timeline: Received: June 28, 2026; Revised: August 02, 2026; Accepted: August 18, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026

Citation: Niyomugabo, J. D., & Uwiringiyimana, M. C. (2026). Socio-Economic Evaluation of Youth Participation in High-Value Horticultural Value Chains in Southern Rwanda. African Journal of Agriculture, 13(8), 186–193. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJA/000757

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