Analysis of Urban and Rural Plantain Markets Integration in Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study analyzed urban and rural plantain markets integration in Ondo State, Nigeria. It specifically examined the trend of plantain prices in the urban and rural markets in the study area, and whether the urban and rural plantain markets in Ondo State are co-integrated. The secondary data used were the monthly nominal prices in naira per kilogram of plantain in Ondo State, Nigeria. Secondary data were collected from the Agricultural Development Project (ADP) of the Ondo State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The method of data analysis included price trend analysis and co-integration. The stationarity tests revealed that both price series were stationary at the first difference, while the co-integration test revealed that the null hypothesis of no co-integration was rejected at 5 percent level of significance. The study concluded that the rural plantain markets and urban plantain markets had their prices tied together in the long run.