1.0 Introduction
Cocoyam marketing, like any other agricultural marketing, encompasses everything that happens between the farm gate and the consumer, including processing, storage, assembly, wholesaling, and retailing of cocoyam (Kohl and Uhl, 1985; Takele, 2010). Cocoyam industry consists of primary production by producers as well as creation of form, space and time utilities by other market participants. Economic study of cocoyam marketing is viewed as obtaining scientific evidence on the situation of cocoyam marketing and identification of potential intervention as a way of assisting the industry in contributing to socio-economic development of the nation. However, going by the estimated figure of postharvest losses in cocoyam, Chukwu, et al, (2008), reported about 50% economic losses after two months and about 95 % after five months as a result of rots, sprouting and other physiological changes.
This is pointing to poor access to agricultural chain partnership, rural infrastructure, storage, processing and market for cocoyam. Storage participants used six main storage methods for cocoyam among which are storage in the basket in storage house, on the floor in storage house, storage in the shelf in storage house, storage in raised platform in the barn, heap in barn, bury in the barn. However, reliable information is not available on the relative effectiveness of these methods in reducing losses in fresh weight, rots and other changes.
Cocoyam is produced beyond the needs of the households and they desire to use the surplus in satisfying their other needs. Producers have three main options for marketing their produce. At the beginning of the marketing channel producers either sell directly to consumer or to other participants (retailer or wholesaler) depending on various factors. Other participants in the market channels such as retailers or wholesalers not only create possession utility by transferring cocoyam from surplus to deficit region but also enhance the value of cocoyam in terms of form, place and time for consumers.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitation of the study and Definition of terms.
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