Characteristics and Potentials of Retail Marketing of Yam in Delta State, Nigeria: Implications for the Extension Services

The study was carried out to assess the influence of socio-economic characteristics on retail yam marketing in Delta region of Nigeria and the implicatiosn on the potential market growth of yam extension services. Data were obtained from the marketers with the use of structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics (frequency distribution table, percentages and means) was used to analyze the socio-economic characteristics and constraints of marketers, while multiple regression was used to analyze the hypothesis of the study. Findings of the study show that the retail yam market is completely dominated by females. Most of them (71%) were married and attended primary school (65%). The age of most (35%) of the marketers was between the range of 40 – 49 years. Results also show that all the respondents are into full time retail marketing of yam and most (85%) of them market only yam tubers with an average of 5-9 years experience in the trade. The average total marketing cost, weekly revenue and gross margin of retail yam marketing were $43.09, $63.44 and $20.34 respectively thus indicating that the trade is profitable. Serious constraints faced by the traders are perishability (3.83), inadequate capital (3.71), transport and its related problems (3.70), seasonality (3.64) and absence of locked-up stalls (3.58). Multiple regression analysis reveals that marital status (b= -0.281) and years of marketing experience (b= -0.257) were significant to the marketing cost of yam. Based on findings, the study recommends that efforts should be made by the State Government through Extension Service to organize the retail marketers into cooperatives as this would help them take advantage of economies of scale in engaging in bulk buying and transportation therefore saving money for themselves.