ABSTRACT

This study focused on "Economics of honey marketing in Opi, Nsukka L.G.A of Enugu state" Despite the high demands for honey in our society, it was discovered that the supply of honey and its product seems not enough to meet the demand of honey and this could be traced to poor transportation and logistics, inefficient processing of honey, poor packing and handling. This therefore necessitated this study. The study is aimed at examining the socio economic characteristics of the honey marketers and to ascertain those that influence the quantity of honey sold. Determine the marketing channel, margins and net returns involved in honey marketing and identify the problems associated with honey marketing. The study was carried out at Opi Nsukka L.G.A of Enugu State which lies between latitude 6° 47' and 0' North and longitude 7°26' and 0' East of the Greenwich meridian. Primary data was collected with the aid of a well design questionnaire using purposive sampling to select Opi out of Enugu state and simple random sampling technique to select 60 respondents out of Opi. The socio-economic factors that affect the quantity of honey sold were determined using OLS multiple regression model and Gender, Age, Education level, and Initial capital was significant at various levels of probabilities and influences the quality of honey sold. The marketing channel was determined. The net returns from honey marketing was determined and it showed profitable at N67,253.292 per month per marketer which is more than the 1 8,000 minimum wage paid to civil servants. The determinants of the net returns of the marketers were ascertained using the OLS multiple regression model. Marital status, Initial capital, Feeding, Household size, Education level, Quantity sold were significant at various levels of probabilities and influences the net income. Some of the problems of honey marketing identified are poor quality, competition, storage problem, insufficient capital, inadequate government policies and others. The enterprise of honey marketing is lucrative and from the findings of this study, government can improve the marketing of honey by making funds available for marketers at reduced interest rates, and equip the extension agents to transfer effectively the innovation on modern honey processing skills to the producers to enhance quality of honey produced and distributed.