Effect Of Processing Techniques On Marketing Of Maize In Afijio Local Government Area, Oyo State

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of processing techniques on the marketing of maize in Afijio local government area of Oyo state, Nigeria. The specific Objectives were identify the socio-economic characteristics of maize processors in the study area, identify the processing activities of maize processors in the study area, identify the challenges faced by the respondents in the study area, evaluate the effect of processing techniques on the revenue generated by the respondents in the study area. The methods used to carry out this study were the interviewer administered questionnaire and unstructured interview as well as observation. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through the use of interviewer questionnaire administration, interview guide, focus group discussions and observations. A total of one hundred and twenty(120) respondents were interviewed. Respondents were selected using multi-stage sampling techniques. Data was analyzed using descriptive analysis and ordinary least square regression model.

The result showed that the mean age of the respondents was 33.58 years, the average household size was 6.17 in the study area, with 9.17 which is the mean year of experience of the respondents, 85% of the respondents made use of their personal savings/income to finance their business, 61.7% of the respondents are affected by poor patronage, the regression analysis shows that there is a positive relationship between the processing techniques and the revenue generated by the respondents in the study area with an R-square of 75.9%, an adjusted R-square of 73.8% and an f-value of 36.225 which signals that there is a goodness of fit in the relationship between the variables.

The study concluded that there is potential for the maize processors to improve their revenue through the increase in the utilization of various processing techniques in the study area. The study also recommend that input should be made available to maize processors at a subsidies rates, so as to be able to increase their revenue generation.