ASSESSMENT OF PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE STRUCTURE, CONDUCT AND PERFORMANCE OF COWPEA MARKETING IN YOLA NORTH AND YOLA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA. (Published)
The study assesses the socio-economic and problems affecting the structure, conduct and performance of cowpea marketing in Yola South and Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. The data used for the study was mainly from primary source. These were obtained through the administration of structured questionnaire to a sample of 75 cowpea marketers in the two local government areas. The data generated was from marketers in 2011/2012 marketing season. Descriptive statistics were employed for the study to examine the socio-economic characteristics of marketers and the constraint faced in their marketing activities. The study concludes that, several problems were associated with cowpea marketing in the study area namely; inadequate capital, pest infestation, and low profit, high cost of transportation, bad road network, storage, high taxes, inadequate market information and lack of standard measure are some of the problem militating against cowpea marketing in the study area. Amongst all the problems inadequate capital, pest infestation and low profit ranks the first three most serious problems. The study therefore recommends that, Government and the private sector should facilitate the marketers in accessing a timely and affordable credit facility so as to sustain and expand their marketing activities. Government should open up and rehabilitate the road network in the hinterland to facilitate easy evacuation of agricultural inputs and commodities in and out of the market.
Keywords: Assessment, Conduct, Cowpea and Marketing., Performance, Problems, Structure
Assessment of Cost and Returns of Cattle Marketing In Central Zone of Adamawa State, Nigeria. (Published)
The study was to assess the cost and returns in cattle marketing in central Adamawa State, Nigeria. Data for this study were collected from activities of cattle marketer for the year 2012. The data were collected using structured questionnaire. One hundred and twenty (120) Cattle marketers were administered with questionnaires. A total of Ninety questionnaires were used for analyzed. However, both descriptive (frequency, percentage and mean) and inferential statistics was used for analyzing the data generated from the study. Analysis of the structure and performance of cattle marketers was done using Gini coefficient and marketing margin analysis. The results obtained from the study revealed that, performance of cattle marketers which was analyzed using marketing margin techniques was found to be 9.09 percent. This indicates that, marketers obtained 9.09 percent of the final sales which is paid by the consumers. Also, the analysis of seller concentration of cattle marketing shows that, a Gini coefficient of 0.65 was obtained. The relatively high Gini coefficient which by the analysis tends to approach one (1) is a clear indication of inequality in earnings from the sales of the animals and high marketing concentration. The study therefore recommends that, marketers should form / strengthening their associations and cooperatives for extensive information sharing and in-leading between and among members, government at all levels should also be willing to provide information to marketers and researchers so as to help in addressing the problems associated with cattle marketing for necessary support and legislations
Keywords: Assessment, Cattle, Cost, Marketing, Returns