ABSTRACT

The study was designed to examine the economics of selected food grain (rice, beans and maize) marketing in Abia State, Nigeria. It specifically analyzed the socio-economic characteristics of the food grain marketers, identified the marketing channels of the selected food grain, analyzed the marketing efficiency and margin of food grain marketers, the factors influencing profitability of food grain marketing and also constraints of food grain marketing in the study area were also analysed.A random sampling method was used in the selection of marketers for the study, 30 retailers and 30 wholesalers were selected from three major markets in Abia state (Ariaria, Ahia ohuru and Ubani). Total respondents for the study were 60. Data analysed by use of statistical and econometric tools like frequency, tables, simple descriptive statistics and multiple regression model. The results of the study showed that majority of the retailers 70.00% were females while majority of the males 53.33% were males in the study area. Majority of the retailers and wholesalers, 50.00% and 36.67% respectively were from 50 years and more than. Results showed that highest percentage for educational attainment were secondary level at 63.33% and 56.66% for retailers and wholesalers respectively. Food grain supply to Ariaria, Ahia ohuru and Ubani markets is unrestrictive and can assume any channel among Producers, Agents, Wholesalers, Retailers and the Consumers. Although there were variation in efficiency levels, they were all inefficient because efficiency values of the selected food grain were less than one. The mean market margin for the wholesalers (12.472%) was more than the retailers (10.731%). With the numerous constraints, the results reveal the marketers were inefficient in marketing and made recommendation for enabling hand institution creation by government and private sectors in order to enhance efficiency in the study area.