Also, research into post-harvest storage and processing techniques should be intensified and finally, fund should be made available, through both formal and informal sources, to food marketers so that they can take advantage of bulk purchasing, market expansion and post- harvest processing. To improve food marketing and food security situation in Nigeria, it is recommended that adequate transportation facilities, in terms of good roads and functional vehicles should be provided by government, private individuals and cooperative groups. Responses of the selected respondents show that the major problems of food marketing are transportation problem, inadequate market infrastructure, inadequate funding, shortage of processing facilities and seasonality and perishability of food produce. This ''exploitation'' directly or indirectly leads to loss of interest in farming and subsequently food insecurity in the country. This is perceived as market exploitation because not much value are added to the food by the middlemen to justify the very high margin collected. When compared with the farmer's return, the middlemen's share of total marketing margin was higher. The distribution of total marketing margin shows that the wholesalers' share was 68.1% and the retailers' share was 31.9% on the average. The average marketing efficiency was 143.5% in the study area. The average marketing cost was N105.3/bag and the average net marketing margin was N158.2/bag. The results indicate that the average farm gate price of maize was N755 per 50kg bag of maize. Market margin, distribution of total market margin and marketing efficiency were estimated. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Secondary data were collected from Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin and annual reports. Primary data were collected during the 1997/98 farming season from two hundred food marketers consisting of eighty wholesalers and one hundred and twenty retailers spread across six local government areas of the state. This is against the background of persistent food crisis being experienced for sometimes now in the country. This paper examines problems of food marketing and security in Nigeria, using maize marketing in Kwara State as a case study. Improved credit to marketers could improve market efficiency. Major marketing constraints identified by marketers were transportation and finances. Retail markets were more perfectly competitive and efficient. The Herfindahl indices for wholesalers and retailers were 0.044 and 0.017, respectively, indicating that the market tends toward perfect competition because no single marketer could influence price or supply of okra. Marketing efficiency for wholesalers and retailers were greater than unity (ME>1). The farmers’ share of the recovered price was 36.09%, which is considered to be low. An average of 40 baskets (each weighs 10 kg) were sold by wholesalers and six baskets were sold by retailers weekly. About a third of wholesalers and slightly more than half of retailers had been in okra marketing for 11–20 years. The majority of wholesalers were 41–50 years old and retailers were 31–40 years old. Almost all wholesalers and retailers were women. Data from questionnaires were analyzed with descriptive statistics, marketing margin, and the Herfindahl index. Responses were obtained from 96 fresh okra marketers (33 wholesalers, 63 retailers). Fresh okra marketing in the Ibadan metropolitan area of Oyo State, Nigeria, was examined. Moench) is an important vegetable crop and its production is a means of income however, there are challenges in its marketing. In the tropics, Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.
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