Abstract: “Market” is an area or setting in which price making forces (demand and supply) operates. Marketing performs the role of bridging special geographical gap by making sure that goods and services are moved from the point of production to the point of consumption. Agricultural marketing is an essential tool for development yet, farmers suffer from a number of difficulties that reduces their bargaining power, as they are deprived of getting the right price for their products. This study therefore, analysed the marketing of agricultural produce in Kachia LGA. of Kaduna state, using ginger, maize and soybeans, as case study. Data was sourced at the village, collection, and apex markets respectively, with a total of 121 respondents from different actors in the marketing system. Questionnaire was administered through the sampling technique.
Data collected was analysed using the percentage and gross margin methods of analysis. Findings revealed that marketing involves several intermediary stages within the process. This often results in the consumer paying an exorbitant price and the producer receiving a lower price for his production. The marketing activity is obstructed by lack of sufficient fund, which affected 18.9% of the respondents, high cost of transportation, having 17.9%, market infrastructures 7.5%, with government policy having 6.6% among others, which influenced the selling price. Efficiency of marketing the crops was determined and problems identified through the movement of produce from producers, through the chain of actors in the markets. The gross margin result showed a fairly profit earning for marketers in the area.
Fxample, the rural producers for ginger had a profit of ₦1,100 per bag of ginger sold. The rural assemblers for soybeans had ₦1,200 per bag, and the urban wholesalers of maize had a profit of ₦900.00 on each bag of maize sold. In the course of marketing agricultural products, supply can be artificially interrupted and adversely affected by some intermediaries who are not actually the major players in the agricultural sectors. These redundant intermediaries create a marketing channel through which farmers have to supply their produce to the markets, thereby creating a value chain. The value chains have significant impact on the ability of farmers in getting fair price for their output..............ORDER FOR COMPLETE PROJECT MATERIAL NOW!! .
