Abattoir agribusiness: the case of beef processing and marketing for rural development in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper analyzes the evaluation of abattoir agribusiness in Delta State, Nigeria. Data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire from randomly selected beef processors and marketers in 2010. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and profit function. Results of the study revealed that male folks accounting for about 72.5% of the total operators are more involved in abattoir business and fall within the age range of 36-55 years, 57.5% of whom are old in the business with about 30% having spent about 610 years in the business. Also, about 92.5% of the operators had one form of formal education or the other and had a family size between 6 and 10. An average abattoir operator makes an average profit of about N 8112.50 monthly. Although profitable, abattoir business is faced with some constraints such as transportation, inadequate finance, poor infrastructure and basic amenities, poor sanitation, inadequate number of abattoirs, lack of government support, etc. Government therefore needs to be more sensitive to abattoir business in the state by providing meat inspection services, basic amenities such as good roads, good water supply and electricity, build more abattoirs and provide credit for the operators as this will improve the profitability of the business in the study area.