Empirical analysis of African aubergine (Solanum gilo) - marketing and income disparity among traders in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

African Aubergine is an indigenous tropical crop cultivated in Nigeria. Agricultural marketing creates incentives that accelerate the promotion of further production and consumption of harvested produce. Therefore, this study analysed African Aubergine marketing and income disparity among traders in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Primary data collected via multistage sampling from ninety-five (95) respondents was analysed using descriptive statistics, marketing margin and efficiency analysis, Ordinary Least Square regression and Gini Coefficient index. The results show that the mean age, years spent in school, household size, trading experience and quantity of bags sold were 37 years, 8 years, 7 people, 9 years and 8 bags per month, respectively. The estimated marketing margin and efficiency index were ₦1,250 and 0.36, respectively. The estimated coefficients of Ordinary Least Square regression (R2) were 0.773. Thus, the variables (marketing experience, cost price, quantity sold and marketing cost) in the regression model accounted for 77% of the variation in the marketing margin of African Aubergine traders in the study area. The estimated Gini Coefficient was 0.59, indicating a moderate level of income disparity (inequality) in the sales income of the respondents. Several marketing constraints were observed in the study area. Therefore, this study recommends improved credit access and market information dissemination, commodity cost subsidisation, storage technology adoption, market infrastructure development and interventions, commodity price control and policy modification that regulates market activities

ANALYSIS OF VILLAGE EXTENSION AGENTS’ ACCESS AND USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE DELIVERY OF EXTENSION SERVICES IN THE CENTRAL AGRICULTURAL ZONE OF PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

This study examined village extension agent’s access and use of information and communication technology in extension services delivery to farmers in Plateau State, Nigeria. The population for the study consisted of all the village extension agents (VEAs) of the Plateau Agricultural Development Program (PADP) in the central agricultural zone of the state. Multistage sampling technique was employed in selecting the respondents for the study. Primary data were collected through the administration of questionnaires and interview techniques and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings from the study shows that majority (77%) of the sampled village extension agents (VEAs) were males with a mean age of 43 years, Majority (87%) of the respondents were married with a mean household size of 4 persons. The study also showed that majority (80%) of the VEAs had tertiary education with a mean working experience of 13 years and average monthly income of ₦64875. The result also shows that four (4) out of the seven (7) listed ICT facilities were adjudged the ICT facilities accessible to VEAs in the study area having had mean values above the discriminating index (x̅=2.50). They included; GSM (phone) (x̅=3.94), radio (x̅= 2.83), television (x̅= 2.73) and computer (x̅= 2.68). Based on 2.50 discriminating index, only two out of seven listed conventional ICT facilities had mean values above the discriminating index (x̅2.50) and thus were adjudged the ICT facilities used by VEAs. The GSM (phone) had the highest mean value of 3.62 followed by radio with mean value of 2.54. The logit regression result shows that coefficients of years of working experience and monthly income were significant and positively related to ICT use, while age and complexity in use of ICT were significant and negatively related to ICT use. Major constraints to use of ICT by VEAs includes; lack of administrative support in provision of ICT (87%), lack of in-service training on ICT use (66%), Poor salary/remuneration (64%), lack of awareness of ICT importance in extension (56%) among others. The study recommends intervention, serious synergy and proactive response on the part of government, non-governmental organization and extension organizations in ICT provision and training of VEAs on ICT use as well as stepping up campaigns on the importance of ICT use in agricultural extension delivery