Abstract
Variation in the marketing system and the spatial movement of palm oil have influenced the cost structure and income of palm oil marketers in Nigeria. Many farm gate and itinerant palm oil marketers face difficulties in accessing supply sources, transportation facilities, and price formation, which negatively impacts their income. Thus, this study was conducted to compare the income of farm gate and itinerant palm oil marketers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The data for this study were collected through a multi-sampling procedure, and a sample size of 240 respondents (120 itinerant marketers, 120 farm gate marketers) was obtained. Data were analyzed using statistical and inferential tools such as frequency tables, means and percentages, Net income formula, Z-test, and multiple regression models. Results showed that itinerant palm oil marketers were relatively younger (X̄ = 44.05), educated (X̄=8 years), less experienced (X̄=14 years), with more access to credit (X̄= ₦200,072.50) than farm gate marketers. On average, the revenue (N706,959.60), selling price (N28,785.00), and profit (N263,003.59) of itinerant palm oil marketers were higher than the revenue (N98,324.55), selling price (N24,766.89), and profit (N30,471.96) of farm gate marketers. There was a difference in net income between farm gate and itinerant marketers, determined by age, education, household size, marketing experience, credit access, cooperative membership, market information, transportation cost, storage cost, tax, and purchase cost. The study recommended that palm oil marketers should be encouraged by the government and non-governmental organizations through sensitization to join well-structured cooperatives that provide real economic benefits, such as bulk purchasing, access to credit, and shared logistics, in order to check high purchase costs and enhance their net income.
Keywords: Efficiency, palm oil marketers, farm gate, and itinerant palm oil marketers, net income
jaerem Oke, U. R 26
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