Cowpea Marketing and Consumer Preference in Magama Local Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

To study the economic analysis of cowpea marketing in Magama Local Government area of Niger state, a multistage sampling technique was used involving a total of 80 respondents. Data was sourced primarily through a market survey and analyzed descriptively using percentages and frequencies. Also the ordinary least squares regression analysis was used. Results revealed that 89.24% of respondents were male; mean age was 43 years and also a mean household size of six persons. Arabic education was the highest revealing 28.75%. A demand function for cowpea was Q=-33258.695 + 0.003X1 + 0.202X2 + 3.342X3 + 4647X4 – 8897.008X5. Results of own price elasticity revealed that cowpea was an inelastic good. The income elasticity revealed cowpea as a necessity in the study area, while the cross price elasticity revealed that bambara-nut was a close substitute to cowpea in the study area. Results revealed a decentralized marketing channel, and the problems were mainly inadequate credit and high cost of transportation. Consumers in the study area had a high preference for white cowpea cooked with rice and also preferred larger cowpea grain size over the smaller. Marketers were advised to form cooperative bodies and be fully integrated into such to better facilitate the acquisition of funds. It was also recommended that the Local Government should construct local feeder road network to facilitate transportation.