Mechanisms for Improving the Marketing of Agricultural Products for Increased Profitability

The high increase in agricultural production has resulted in farmers witnessing some challenges especially in the marketing of their agricultural products. In line with this, the study was aimed at identifying the mechanisms for improving the marketing of agricultural products for increased profitability. The study was guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses. The descriptive survey research design was adopted. The study which was carried out in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria made use of 130 out of 350 registered farmers that reside in the rural and urban areas. The structured questionnaire used for data collection was validated by three experts from the Department of Agricultural Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and with a reliability coefficient of 0.65 established using Cronbach alpha method. Data collected were analyzed using mean to answer the research questions while t-test statistic was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that different marketing outlets and mechanism could be adopted to increase the marketing of Agricultural products and thus, making a high profit. It was therefore recommended that government should construct good road networks for easy transportation of the agricultural product to the markets. Keywords: marketing, agricultural products, increased profitability, farmers DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/62-04 Publication date: November 30th 201

Effect of Moringa oleifera Seed Powder on the Clarity, Colloidal Particles, and Nutritional Contents of Cashew Apple Juice

Cashew apple juice is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Cashew apples are being wasted due to lack of processing and are not much cherished because of its astringency. Some of the available clarifying agents are costly and are mainly imported. The study was, therefore, aimed at finding out the effect of M. oleifera seed powder on the clarity and phytochemical and nutritional contents of cashew apple juice. The study adopted an experimental design where 5 g, 10 g, 15 g, and 20 g of M. oleifera seed powder were used to clarify 250 cm3 of cashew apple juice. The setups were filtered using a filter paper after standing for an hour to get the clarified juice. The clarity of each filtrate was determined using an atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS). Similarly, the tannin, lignin, pectin, protein, starch, calcium, zinc, copper, magnesium, and vitamin C were determined following the procedure of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Results showed that cashew apple juice clarified with 10 g/250 cm3 gave the best clarity. The colloidal particle contents of cashew apple juice were significantly reduced by the use of M. oleifera seed powder. It was equally found out that the clarified cashew apple juice contained an appreciable amount of nutrients. The flavour, colour, and general acceptability of the clarified cashew apple juice were very much liked by the panellist while the aroma was moderately liked. The study recommended that M. oleifera seed powder should be used for clarifying cashew apple juice and be included at the rate of 10 g/250 cm3