Women Fish Processors' Perceptions of Micro-credit by Source in Ondo State, Nigeria

This study explored how micro-credit benefits women processing cultured catfish into smoked form by obtaining and analyzing their perceptions. The specific objectives included identifying micro-credit sources used, sources preferred and ranking factors considered when deciding on a micro-credit choice. Multi-stage sampling technique was used in selecting 120 processors analyzed. Analytical tools used included descriptive and inferential statistics. About 92.0% of the respondents was between 25-55 years indicating being economically active. About 17.0%, 38.7% and 44.0% of respondents sourced micro-credit from Cooperatives, Family/Friends and Government, respectively. Eighty-eight percent of micro-credit users accessed it in the last one year and 78.0% utilized it for intended purposes. Also, 78.0% disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement that access to micro-credit is particularly difficult for women. T-test revealed that profit made by users was significantly higher than that of non-users. There were varied perceptions by respondents in terms of statements relating to aspects of micro-credit from various institutions. The four most popular reasons considered in the choice of micro-credit included timeliness of funds release (93.7%), magnitude (77.8%), speed of application processing (67%) and severity of reprisals during default (56.4%). These reasons were ranked first to third by 32.0% of micro-credit users. Present a guarantor (62.5%) and depositing part of the micro-credit as saving (37.5%) were the most mentioned constraints. It is concluded that micro-credit is a veritable means of keeping women fish processors productive and thus government policies meant to encourage more women to access and effectively use it need be put in place.Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, held July 11-15, 2016 at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Center (AECC), Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

Food Expenditure Patterns Among Urban Households In Ibadan Southwest Local Government Area, Oyo State

This study examines food expenditure patterns among urban households in Ibadan South West Local Government Area of Oyo State. The primary data used for the study were obtained through structured questionnaire using random sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and least square regression model were used to analyse the data collected from respondents. Descriptive analysis showed that 82.5% of the household heads were males, 65% of them were married, and 55% fell within the age bracket of 30 and 39 years, while 65% were salary-earners. Most of the respondents (79.2%) had tertiary education and the average household size was found to be 5. Furthermore, 49.2% bought foodstuffs from the market for home consumption on a monthly basis and 52.5% spent less than N10, 000 monthly on food.  The result of the least square regression model showed that the age of respondents, level of education and occupation (salary-earner or self-employed) of the household head, as well as the household income were significantly influenced by household’s monthly food expenditure in the study area. The study recommends among other things enlightenment programmes that will    educate the urban dwellers on the  need to eat good quality and hygienic food.   &nbsp

Are Middlemen Really Exploitative? Empirical Evidence from the Sun-Dried Fish Market in Southwest, Nigeria

The animal protein intake in Nigeria is grossly insufficient yet the retail price of fish is rising. Market intermediaries, alleged to charge excessive and unjustifiable marketing margins (MM), are often blamed for this. This study examines this allegation using data from 225 sun-dried fish traders classified into three groups. Data for the study were collected by means of structured questionnaire and participant observation method, from market intermediaries sampled by convenience, in three purposively selected markets. Descriptive statistics, gross and marketing margins models and rate of return to investment, were used to analyze data. Empirical analysis showed that a MM of ₦285.15 which translated to 94.8% of farm-gate price, was charged by intermediaries on a kilogramme of fish getting to the end-users. The factors implicated for this high MM included high facilitating costs and risks involved in the trade. The average sales price per kilogramme of fish was ₦390.88, ₦486.20 and ₦585.84 by wholesalers, sub-wholesalers and retailers, respectively. The profit per kilogramme of fish was ₦74.17, ₦75.82 and ₦79.48 while the returns on capital invested were 23.42%, 18.45% and 15.70%. Distributive margins did not show considerable difference among the intermediaries. The conclusion is that there is no evidence of exploitation of consumers in the sun-dried fish trade. It is suggested that the sub-wholesalers be eliminated from the marketing chain by empowering retailers with more trading loans so as to purchase large quantity of merchandise for resale. This will shorten the chain and occasion a lower delivered price

Preparation and use of plant medicines for farmers' health in Southwest Nigeria: socio-cultural, magico-religious and economic aspects

Agrarian rural dwellers in Nigeria produce about 95% of locally grown food commodities. The low accessibility to and affordability of orthodox medicine by rural dwellers and their need to keep healthy to be economically productive, have led to their dependence on traditional medicine. This paper posits an increasing acceptance of traditional medicine country-wide and advanced reasons for this trend. The fact that traditional medicine practitioners' concept of disease is on a wider plane vis-à-vis orthodox medicine practitioners' has culminated in some socio-cultural and magico-religious practices observed in preparation and use of plant medicines for farmers' health management. Possible scientific reasons were advanced for some of these practices to show the nexus between traditional medicine and orthodox medicine. The paper concludes that the psychological aspect of traditional medicine are reflected in its socio-cultural and magico-religious practices and suggests that government should fund research into traditional medicine to identify components of it that can be integrated into the national health system

A Comparative Two Cassava-Based Exclusive to the Female Gender in Oyo State, Nigeria

This studycomparedfufuprocessingandmarketinginIbadan. Oyo State. Thesample size for the study was 195 respondents divided into 75 processors and 120 marketers. Data, collected by means of questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics, budgetary, z-test and multiple regression analyses Empirical analysis shows that the average family size was 6 for processors and 5 for marketers. Most of the marketers (60 0%) soldtheir fufuin the openin designatedmarkets while 25.0% soldit to operators of eateries. ProcessingreturnedN36 for every N100 investedwhilemarkefotirnegvyeireyldNe1d0N013. A significant difference existedbetween the income generatedby the two ventures. Multiple regression analysis revealed the factors that were significant and either positively or negatively impacted on income from the ventures. Since fufu processing was more stressful than marketing, it shouldbe a welcome development simple machineries can be fabricatedandsold to fufuprocessors at affordable costs to enable them carry out their activities with ease andcontributemoremeaningfully to economic developmen

A Comparative Two Cassava-Based Exclusive to the Female Gender in Oyo State, Nigeria

This studycomparedfufuprocessingandmarketinginIbadan. Oyo State. Thesample size for the study was 195 respondents divided into 75 processors and 120 marketers. Data, collected by means of questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics, budgetary, z-test and multiple regression analyses Empirical analysis shows that the average family size was 6 for processors and 5 for marketers. Most of the marketers (60 0%) soldtheir fufuin the openin designatedmarkets while 25.0% soldit to operators of eateries. ProcessingreturnedN36 for every N100 investedwhilemarkefotirnegvyeireyldNe1d0N013. A significant difference existedbetween the income generatedby the two ventures. Multiple regression analysis revealed the factors that were significant and either positively or negatively impacted on income from the ventures. Since fufu processing was more stressful than marketing, it shouldbe a welcome development simple machineries can be fabricatedandsold to fufuprocessors at affordable costs to enable them carry out their activities with ease andcontributemoremeaningfully to economic developmen

Relative Efficiency of Fadama Farmers in Southwest Nigeria: An Application of Profit Function Techniques

The study examines efficiency of small -scale fadama farmers in Southwest Nigeria. Attempts were also made at examining the relative efficiency of the irrigated system with respect to gender. Data used for the analysis were obtained from 212 farmers (145 men and 67 women) practising fadama farming through a multistage sampling procedure. Results from the study show that over half of the farmers (51%) have formal education, 32% have mom than five years fadama farming experience, 46% purchase land for farming while 9% have farm plots exceeding 0.8 hectares. The normalised profit function, shows that the co- efficient for seeds (as) agrochemicals (as) water (aw) fixed (/3K) and farmland (A,,,) were significant (Ps 0.01). The study establishes that both male and female farmers have equal allocative efficiency but differ in technical and price efficiency. The study concludes that women are however more disadvantaged than men in terms of ownership and acquisition inputs used for fadama farming

Comparative Yield Performance of Upland and Mangrove Aquacultural Farms in Selected Maritime States of Southwest, Nigeria

Investors in aquaculture are biased against the mangrove areas and prefer to site their farms in the upland parts of Southwest, Nigeria. This study was carried out to compare the yield performance in the two fish farm locations. The tools utilized included descriptive statistics, budgetary and cash flow analyses and profitability ratios. Empirical results revealed that despite being capital-intensive, adequate revenue could be realized from farms both in the upland and mangrove areas. While the upland farms yielded an average gross revenue per hectare per year of ₦1,166,308.60, the mangrove farms yielded ₦1,033,263.60 meaning that the difference is slight. The results of the combined cash flow and sensitivity analysis buttressed that of the budgetary analysis. The NPVs were ₦1,382,790.00 and ₦1,317,731.20, the B/Cs were 1.28 and 1.29 and the IRR were 48.55% and 48.51% for the upland and mangrove farms respectively. The profitability ratios were also comparable but slightly higher in the upland fish farms. From all the indices obtained, it can be concluded that there is little or no difference in yield performance in the two farm locations. However, the risk of loss of investment in years of excessive flood by investors operating in mangrove areas should prompt them to insure their farms with the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Company.Keywords: Gross Revenue, Fish Farming, Nigeria, Upland and Mangrove Farms, Investment Yiel

Organization and Product Design Pairings: A Review of Product Innovation Capabilities, Conceptualization and Future Directions

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Drawing on the Resource-based view of firms and market orientation theory, this paper presents a complementary view of the influence of product innovation capabilities (PICs) on organization and product design pairings. By exploring the influence of three complementary factors; market orientation, organizational form, and managerial strategic decisions, as essential determinants for emergence of architectural pairings, we theorize that PICs lead to better; organization and product design pairings selection, unique customer benefits, market acceptance, significant cost reductions, and new products development, and consequently superior organizational performance. We propose in essence, that PICs significantly shape and determine the success of architectural pairings between organization and product designs, and act as a source of sustainable competitive advantage for organizations. We further identify scope for future research to evaluate measures and validity of product innovation capability dimensions, and the extent of influence of the identified factors on architectural pairings

Price Forecast Of Selected Staple Foodstuff In Borno State, Nigeria

The study attempted to forecast the prices of some selected foodstuff in Borno state, Nigeria using a database of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Ibadan. These data were on the monthly prices of selected foodstuff in Borno state, which covered a period of nine years (1992-2000). Projection was made by running a regression using exponential functional form; Theil's inequality test was used to test the perfection of the projected prices. Empirical' evidence from the analysis shows that 55% of the staple foodstuff prices were rightly predicted while 45% were wrongly predicted in the urban market. Also in the rural market, 73% of the prices were rightly predicted while 27% were wrongly predicted. The knowledge of this projection will help the policy makers in Borno state towards the achievement of efficient marketing strategies. Journal of Agriculture and Social Research Vol. 4 (2) 2004: 90-9