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Economic Analysis of Plantain and Banana Marketing In Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria

Dr. Ikechi Kelechi Agbugba

This study analyzed the economics of plantain and banana in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study described the socio-economic features of the respondents; analyzed their cost and returns analysis; described their marketing channels; determined the effect of the socio-economic characteristics on the respondents’ profitability status; and identified the constraints militating against their marketing. Primary data was collected using copies of structured questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in analyzing the objectives. The findings indicated that majority (55%) of the marketers fell within the active age range of 41 and 50; majority (51%) of the females who dominated the enterprise were married (48%) and could support their households through the business. Regarding religion, household size and educational level of the respondent, majority (68%) of the respondents indicated Christianity, while 80% of the respondents was recorded having formal education. Finding of the study further showed that 56% of the plantain and banana passed from producer to final consumer and 81% form producer to retailer to final consumer, 115.5% from producer to wholesaler to retailer and final consumer; and 96% from producers to wholesalers to final consumers. More so, findings of the study showed that wholesaler and retailer makes 1,920.00 and 2,840.00 as the gross margin respectively. This implied that the enterprise was profitable and could be attributed to the reason why the marketers remain in the business. From the regression analysis, the profitability determinants indicated that sex, age and household size had a positive relationships with their profits. Results from the constraints militating against the marketers’ recorded that majority of the marketers especially plantain wholesalers encountered high cost of transportation (4.83), lack of finance (4.68) and incessant payment of ticket fees/levies (4.73) as most severe constraints and that affected them to a very great extent during the period of this study. For Banana wholesalers (3.88) and plantain retailers (3.48) all recorded high transport cost as moderate constraints, respectively. Also, banana wholesalers and retailers also recorded incessant payment of ticket fees/levies (3.72) and theft cases/incidence (3.7) as moderate. In a very little way, pests and diseases attack constrained wholesalers to a very little extent (1.4 and 1.0) compared to its effect to retailers (1.0 and 2.86) for plantain and banana wholesalers and retailers, respectively. However, produce/product deterioration or losses by spoilage affected both to a little extent. From the study findings, since plantain and banana business is an avenue upon which the livelihoods of many families are hinged, it is suggested that the network among marketers be improved to limit the influence of middlemen, so as to reduce the cost of plantain and banana that reaches the final consumers. More so, microfinance opportunities and other related lending houses could be insured and encouraged to provide start-up capital, as this will go a long way to reduce the constraints faced by the marketers and provide opportunities for the unemployed. Government should also provide farm taxis that aids in transporting products from farm to markets, in an effort to reduce the high cost of transportation that is a severe constraint to banana and plantain marketing.