Market Price Spread and Determinants of Net Farm Income of Sweet Potato Marketing in Onitsha Agricultural Zone, Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined economics of market price spread and determinants of net farm income of sweet potato marketing in Onitsha agricultural zone, Anambra State, Nigeria. Specifically, it described socioeconomic characteristics, inter and intra market price spread of the marketers, marketing margin and market structure of the marketers, socioeconomic characteristics that influences net marketing income and constraints to sweet potato marketing in the study area. Multistage and random sampling procedure was used to select 120 respondents for the study. Data were collected from primary source and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Gini coefficient, multiple regression and relative importance index. Findings from socioeconomic characteristics reported that sweet potato marketing is dominated by female at retail level due to small capital base requirement to start the business. Findings from inter market price spread showed that an average of cement bag which is equivalent of 50kg mean marketing margins realized by the marketers was high in Eke-Awka-Etiti (?650.00) followed by Afor Nnobi and Relief Market (?600.00), Coke Market (Afia Coke) (?550.00), Nkwo Atani (?500.00), Lafiaji Market (?450.00) and finally Nwangene and Ose-Okwodu Markets (?400.00). From the result of analysis of net returns, the marketing margin was 29.52% which is below 50% indicates an average return on investment in providing the marketing services. Sit-at-home palaver should be addressed by relevant stake holders to enable small holder marketers that depends on daily markets for survival to be in business and the need for government and stakeholders to look into the bad road menace that affects the transportation of sweet potato in order to reduce the level of losses and cost associated with the product were recommended.

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