Volume 1 (Issue 1) 2021 Article 25

ABSTRACT:

The analysis of marketing of plantain in Oshimili South Local government Area of Delta State was carried out to examine the structure of plantain market in Oshimili South Local Government Area. Three town of plantain marketers were randomly selected from four purposively selected town with a total respondent of one hundred and twenty. Structued questionnaires were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics, Cost and return analysis. Return per capital invested were used to analyse the data. The study showed that majority (96%) of the plantain marketers were female. 51.7% are within the active age range of 41-50 years. Most respondents are married and educated having a household size of between 1-10 members. The cost and return analysis showed that purchased cost, transportation, labour and storage cost constitute the variable cost and rent, tools and market charges forms the fixed cost. Furthermore, the findings showed that plantain marketing is profitable with a gross margin of N3,867.90 per month from the sales of plantain bunches. Analysis of the profit revealed that plantain marketing is a profitable business. The constraint militating against marketing of plantain in the area were also identified to be high transportation cost, seasonal price fluctuation, rapid deterioration in quality/spoilage, inadequate funds, high initial cost of plantain, poor access road and high market charges. The study therefore recommends plantain marketers should come together to form plantain marketers cooperative groups from which members could obtain loans at very low interest rates. Also problem of infrastructural facilities such as bad roads should be address by all tiers of government.