Marketing Of Agricultural Food Grains In Selected Markets In Zaria Area

Abstract

This study describes the organizational structure and marketing processes of the traditional agricultural marketing system with emphasis on the links between the village producer and the urban consumer using four food grains staple crops marketed in Zaria marketing area. The findings of the study showed that there is considerable organization in the marketing process and the intermediaries provide productive marketing services at reasonable costs given their technical environment. The study further showed that farmers received 78%, 79.4, 79.8 and 83% of the prices from the four major staple food grains. The analysis of inter-market price relationships revealed price spread in excess of transfer costs in the study area, implying imperfections in the markets. Other findings in the study discovered that traders do not have monopolistic power to attain such profits. Evidence supporting this view includes the finding that little storage takes place by traders in the urban daily market of Zaria. In the urban markets trader's monthly purchases are about equal to monthly sales. There is a conterminous flow of grains to these urban markets from the rural areas. The large amount of grains is stored by farmers. The Information Manager Vol. 6 (1&2) 2006: pp. 25-34