abstract: 'The value chain comprises several factors and activities useful for

  strengthening production and distribution by connecting producers with

  suppliers, intermediaries, and marketplaces and collaboratively creating

  added value for products or goods. However, the values of agricultural

  products mostly depend on various factors and actors, which should be

  linked together for fostering added values. Thus, there may be strong

  ground for facilitating a smooth transition of the agricultural value

  chain (AVC) within the prospects of emerging countries. It could be a

  key means of promoting a profound connection between smallholder farmers

  and modern agriculture facilities. It could be especially crucial for

  the highly perishable and high-value product such as fruits. The main

  aims of the study are to evaluate the factors influencing smallholder

  apple farmers'' participation in the agricultural value chain and

  determine whether participation in AVC improves farmers'' production

  performance. The empirical setup of the study was chosen based on survey

  data of apple growers in Shandong, China. The propensity score matching

  (PSM) and inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA)

  models were employed to craft the study''s outcomes. The main conclusions

  are as follows. (1) Fruit farmers'' gender, total household expenditure,

  housing value, planting scale, planting years, degree of specialization,

  days of family labour input, and total days of employment have

  significant effects on their participation in AVC activities. (2) Fruit

  farmers'' usage of improved fertilizers and organization participation

  supports a higher yield and net income per acre. (3) Participating in

  two kinds of AVC can significantly improve the yield per acre and net

  income per acre compared with only using one type of AVC (improved

  fertilizer). Policy makers should improve the existing policy by

  eliminating institutional barriers and enhancing human factors for

  farmers to participate in high-value chain activities. Governments

  should extend technical support, and enhance training facilities, and

  comprehensively promote the AVC among smallholder farmers. Finally,

  farmers'' organizations (e.g., cooperatives and credit organizations)

  should come forward to help facilitate the effectiveness of AVC.'
affiliation: 'Zhang, FH (Corresponding Author), Shandong Agr Univ, Coll Econ \& Management,
  Tai An 271018, Shandong, Peoples R China.

  Wang, Xiaolei, Shandong Agr Univ, Coll Informat Sci \& Engn, Tai An 271018, Shandong,
  Peoples R China.

  Sarkar, Apurbo; Wang, Hongyu, Northwest A\&F Univ, Coll Econ \& Management, Yangling
  712100, Shaanxi, Peoples R China.

  Zhang, Fuhong, Shandong Agr Univ, Coll Econ \& Management, Tai An 271018, Shandong,
  Peoples R China.'
article-number: '153'
author: Wang, Xiaolei and Sarkar, Apurbo and Wang, Hongyu and Zhang, Fuhong
author-email: 'wanghongyu@nwafu.edu.cn

  apurbo@nwafu.edu.cn

  2018110568@sdau.edu.cn

  sdzhangfuhong@sdau.edu.cn'
author_list:
- family: Wang
  given: Xiaolei
- family: Sarkar
  given: Apurbo
- family: Wang
  given: Hongyu
- family: Zhang
  given: Fuhong
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.3390/horticulturae7060153
eissn: 2311-7524
files: []
journal: HORTICULTURAE
keywords: 'smallholder farmers; value chain integration; apple industry; production

  performance; improve fertilizer use'
keywords-plus: 'LINKING SMALL FARMERS; MARKET PARTICIPATION; DEVELOPING-COUNTRIES;
  FOOD

  SECURITY; TECHNOLOGY; VEGETABLES; PRODUCERS; FARMLAND; CHANNELS;

  ADOPTION'
language: English
month: JUN
number: '6'
number-of-cited-references: '102'
orcid-numbers: 'Sarkar, Apurbo/0000-0001-6520-9217

  Zhang, Fuhong/0000-0001-8005-8330'
papis_id: 67540cc946453a52629f8c792c496034
ref: Wang2021doesparticipation
researcherid-numbers: 'Sarkar, Apurbo/AAO-7476-2020

  '
times-cited: '5'
title: Does Participation in Agricultural Value Chain Activities Influence Smallholder
  Fruit Grower Production Performance? A Cross-Sectional Study of Apple Farmers in
  Shandong, China
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000666661000001
usage-count-last-180-days: '4'
usage-count-since-2013: '22'
volume: '7'
web-of-science-categories: Horticulture
year: '2021'