ABSTRACT

This study examined the marketing of ginger in Imo state. The study covered wholesalers and retailers. The sampling was 250.The sample size used was 80 respondents: 40 wholesalers and 40 retailers. Four markets were purposively selected from two agricultural zone of the state. Well structured questionnaires were used in data collection. Date obtained were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics such as mean, frequencies and percentage, multiple regression analysis, marketing efficiencies ,margin, cost and return using(enterprise analysis). Based on findings from the study, males dominated the wholesale market while females were more in the retail market. Most of the marketers were not quite literate. Most of wholesalers sourced the commodity from Jos and Onitsha while retailers purchased within Owerri. The study revealed that ginger marketing is inefficiency. The result of the costs and returns showed that ginger marketing for both wholesalers and retailers were profitable, but wholesalers have less marketing margin than the retailers. The regression result showed that the quantity sold, unit price of ginger, renting cost and age were significant variables influencing the marketing margin of ginger wholesalers while household size, price of ginger and rent were significant variables influencing the marketing margin of retailers. The major constraints faced by the marketers were low demand of ginger, inadequate credit, high cost of transportation, lack of credit facilities and so on. Based on the findings, it is recommended that policies that encourage granting of credit facilities to traders and price policies in order to improve the efficiency of ginger marketing should be implemented in the state.