Analysis Of Marketing Efficiency Of Gari In Umuahia North Local Government Area Of Abia State Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Traditionally, agricultural research and development efforts have focused on export crops and the major cereals. Relatively little attention has been paid to roots and tubers. Recently the under exploited potential roots crops have become more widely recognized. Roots and tubers are productive food crops and they may also be used in manufacturing and livestock feeding. Growing awareness of the value, both actual and potential, of root crops is reflected in recent study of priorities for international agricultural 'I, research. Gari is a dehydrated food and product from cassava. It is a staple food that provides carbohydrate or energy for more than 500miUion people in the tropics. It has always been a cheep source of carbohydrate for humans. It average moisture content is 8-10% with industrial processing and 12 — l4% with traditional processing and so can be stored for several months. I accounts for about 70% of the entire cassava consumed in Nigeria (Adegeye, 1988), 1 Food marketing which is the link (bridge) between specialized food production and consumption is concerned with all stages of operation which aid the movement of foodstuffs from the farm to the final consumer, 4 and these includes, assemblage of produce, storage, transportation processing, grading and financing of all these activities.