Agrosearch

Consumers’ Understanding and Usage of Food Labels in Purchasing Decisions in Kwara State, Nigeria

2025-02-27T11:42:13+00:00

Food labels are the primary means of educating consumers on packaged content. With the rising urbanization in Nigeria and its corresponding change in lifestyle toward increased consumption of packaged food products, it is crucial to deepen consumers’ knowledge of food labels. The study aimed to evaluate consumer awareness of food labels in Kwara State, Nigeria; understand their impact on purchasing behavior, analyze the factors influencing consumer understanding of food labels, and identify constraints to their usage. A total of 150 randomly selected respondents provided primary data, which was analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordinal logit regression. The patrons were youthful (38.6years), mostly educated, with 65% being female, and 40% belonging to less than 4 member-households. Food labels were unimportant to 17% of the respondents whereas 17% were knowledgeable about food labelling. Only 11.3% of the respondents are very intentional in their use of food labels in making decisions. About 68.2% of respondents don't check allergen information on labels, 60% lack knowledge about food regulatory bodies in Nigeria, and 22% find food label quality irrelevant to purchasing behavior. Determinants of consumers’ level of understanding include: (+) educational status, product health claims, health knowledge, consumer’s health status, (-) language/terminology, label orientation, and gender (p < 0.05). The study reveals that consumers' awareness and usage of food labels in Kwara State are significantly low due to language complexity, time factor, and language barriers. We recommend manufacturers and regulatory agencies to develop standardized, legible labels and focus on local language labeling for better inclusion.

Willingness to Participate in Platform Cooperatives among Members of Abundant Farmers’ Cooperative Society, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria

2025-02-27T11:52:02+00:00

One of the efforts to improving the livelihood of citizens within the rising e-economy space is cooperatives promotion among actors in the agricultural value chain. Despite this, inequality and poverty have been on the rise while e-business is increasing in all sectors. This has led to the rethinking of conventional cooperatives to shift to platform cooperatives (PCoop) for market expansion and surplus sharing. Nevertheless, the literature on PCoop is lean, worldwide. This study therefore investigated the awareness and willingness to participate in PCoop, among members of a Farmers’ Cooperatives in Ikorodu, Lagos. Multistage sampling procedure was used to 90 cooperative members. Data on socio-economic characteristics, awareness and willingness to participate in PCoop were collected with Questionnaires. The data was described using frequency distribution, percentage and analysed with probit regression. The results showed that majority were male (60.7%), below 50 years old (58.34%), had first degree (54.7%), maximum of one million naira yearly farm income (48.8%), aware of PCoop (86.90%) and willing to participate in PCoop (88.10%). Further, the female respondents (0.354) have lower and those that were aware of PCoop (0.307) have higher probabilities of willingness to participate in PCoop than their opposite categories. Years of formal education (0.006) and age (-0.031) have positive and negative relationship with the probability of willingness to participate in PCoop respectively. These coefficients were significant at levels higher than 10%. Awareness campaign on PCoop should commence for agricultural cooperatives members to shift to PCoop to boost members’ income and e-business.

Determinants of the Adoption of Improved Shea Butter Processing Technologies in Oyo State, Nigeria

2025-02-27T12:04:56+00:00

This research was conducted to find out factors that may be associated with low adoption of improved shea butter technologies in Oyo State. A combination of sampling procedures was employed to select the respondents. Data was collected both qualitatively through interview schedule and qualitatively through key informant interviews from 400 respondents. Multiple regression was utilized for the analysis of the determinants of adoption of improved shea butter processing technologies. The outcome of the research revealed that 91.5% of the respondents were female, 60.2% were literates, with at least primary school education, average of 55.2 years of age, average experience of 21 years in processing shea butter, average of 7 household members, average annual income of ₦1,006,782.38. Multiple regression results revealed that socio-economic factors in the model were able to explain up to 61.8% of the variation in the adoption of improved shea butter processing technologies of respondents. The coefficient estimate indicated that scale of income diversification (β = 0.086), annual income (β = 6.196), access to extension contact (β = 0.041) and access to resources for shea butter processing (β = 0.244) showed a positive significant relationship. With 62% impact of socioeconomic factors, this study concluded that adoption or otherwise of improved shea butter processing technologies is massively influenced by socioeconomic factors in Oyo State. A unified approach for training processors is required to enhance understanding and adoption of shea butter processing technologies in Oyo State.

Effect of Packaging Material on the Quality Parameters of African Locust Bean Powder

2025-02-27T12:16:13+00:00

African locust bean condiment popularly referred to as ‘iru’ among the Western part of Nigeria is derived from the fermentation of African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) seeds. Its wide acceptance as a food condiment is owing to its nutritional composition in African diets. African locust bean powder was produced using a dehulling machine and was fermented for three days. The fermented locust beans were dried in a cabinet dryer at 60 ^oC for 4 days and milled into fine powder. The African bean powder was then packaged into three different packaging materials: nylon, plastic, and glass containers and stored for two months. Both fresh and stored samples were evaluated for quality parameters. The results for the chemical analyses were 18.84- 19.63%, 4.44- 4.58%, 1.72-1.90%, 3.50- 3.71%, 8.85-11.80%, 59.69-61.34%, 5.75-5.76 kcal/g, 0.57-0.58% and 7.39-7.87 mg/100 g for protein, fat, fibre, ash, moisture, carbohydrate, energy, total titratable acidity and vitamin c, respectively. According to the result of the chemical analyses, iru powder packaged in nylon container had significantly lowest value for all the parameters evaluated except moisture content where it had significantly highest value. The antinutritional properties ranged from 0.01-0.03%, 0.02-0.17%, and 1.42-1.61 % for phytate, oxalate and cyanide, respectively. Microbiological properties which include the total microbial and coliform counts ranged between 3.54-3.90×10³ cfu/ml and 3.62-7.81×10⁴ cfu/ml. The quality parameters of the locust bean powder packaged in nylon containers reduced significantly compared to glass and plastic containers. This implies that plastic and glass are better packaging materials for African locust bean powder

Impediments to Small Scale Artisanal Fisheries Development in Nigeria: Location and Category-Specific Evidence from Kogi and Bayelsa States

2025-02-27T12:35:47+00:00

The constraints to artisanal fishing in Kogi and Bayelsa States, Nigeria were investigated to expose priority attention areas for the different categories (by crafts) of fisheries. The cluster sampling method was adopted in selecting 81 and 178 artisanal fisher folks respectively from the two states. Mean score analysis was employed in ranking the constraints. In both states, the need for improvements in technology, credit and extension services was compelling. On peculiarities by states, all categories of the fisher folks in Kogi state perceived poor catches and high cost of gears and equipment as serious impediments. The Craft-less Fisheries (CF) operators in Bayelsa state particularly, perceived environmental pollution as a pressing problem. Investment in crafts and funds through the provision of grants/credit is canvassed for the two states. The enterprises in Kogi State will benefit from subsidies on gears and equipment, in addition to landing-enhancing strategies like the enforcement of conservation rules. The fisher folks in Bayelsa States, especially the CF operators will benefit from the prompt cleaning up of polluted areas- and adequate compensations; motorized crafts will aid their movements beyond polluted areas. These investments should be complemented with improved extension services to aid in the transfer of improved technologies and skills.

Comparative Preservative Potentials of Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit with Polymers of Turmeric and Thyme Essential Oil

2025-02-27T13:54:41+00:00

The qualities of fruit grown in developing nations are lost before being consumed, primarily as a result of high rates of bruising, water losses and subsequent deterioration during postharvest handling. One of such important fruit that is highly perishable, susceptible to microbial spoilage and enzymatic degradation is Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). In this study, Thyme and turmeric essential oils were embedded in chitosan-alginate complexes and their preservative potentials on tomato fruits during storage were comparatively studied in fourteen days. Percentage weight loss, polygalactorunase, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase activities, ascorbic acid and lycopene contents, total antioxidant capacity (TOC) and browning index of the preserved tomatoes were evaluated on seventh and fourteenth (14th) day. Generally, all the parameters studied were better with the thyme essential oil complex coatings particularly with the chitosan- alginate-thyme (CH-AG-TH) coating. Hence, it was concluded that thyme essential oil embedded in chitosan arginate complex is better for the preservation of tomato fruits than the turmeric essential oil-based coatings.

Comparative Study of Strain, Location and Seasonal Effects on Reproductive Adaptability of Two Parent-Stock Layer Flocks in Ibadan, Nigeria

2025-02-27T14:01:22+00:00

Two exotic strains of layer chicken were evaluated for adaptability to location and season. An array of 10-year records on hatching parameters from 18 batches each of Bovan nera and Isa brown were utilized. The study design was Completely Randomized Design (CRD) in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial treatment arrangement involving Strain, Location and Season. Measurements were taken on number of eggs set, number of eggs fertile, number of day-old chicks hatched, number of unhatched eggs and number of rejected day-old chicks. Data were analyzed for effects of single factors, and interactions of strain, location and season. Tukey’s HSD test was employed for mean separation (P <0.05). The Statistical Analytical Software (SAS) version 9.3 was used for analysis. Results revealed significant (P <0.05) strain by locational effect on percent eggs set (PES), fertility of eggs set (FES) and hatchability of eggs set (HES) (P = 0.0002-0.0240); while strain by seasonal effect was strong (P =0.0001-0.0410) on fertility of eggs set (FES), hatchability of eggs set (HES), pullet chicks hatched on eggs set (PDS) and hatching rejects on eggs set (HRJ). Adaptability index of between strain, within season, between locational differences for hatching traits, exposed Isa brown with smaller mean difference as better adapted to Sanusi than Ajanla (14.56 vs 3.92, %), while Bovan nera exposed better mean adaptability to Ajanla than Sanusi (0.71 vs 9.54, %). Also, between strain, within location, between seasonal differences revealed Bovan nera as better adapted with smaller mean difference to the wet season than dry season (0.75 vs 13.15), while Isa Brown showed better adaptability to the dry season than wet season (6.34 vs 2.47). The two-factor interaction model could be employed for quick practical selection for adaptability.

Accessibility to International Fund for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme Support Services among Rice Farmers in Ogun State, Nigeria

2025-02-27T14:07:37+00:00

Access to support services plays a crucial role in farmers’ decision to utilise the services and non-access to support services limits the extent of utilising such services. Therefore, accessibility to International Fund for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme, (IFAD-VCDP) support services among rice farmers in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State was assessed in this study. Multi-stage sampling technique was adopted to sample 181 rice farmers. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics at p = 0.05. Result reveals that more than half (50.8%) of the respondents were between the ages of 31-40years with mean age of 36 years. A little above average of the respondents (53.6%) of the respondents grew both rice variety and earned annual income below N300,000 (52.5%). Respondents’ main sources of credits were mostly from cooperative/bank (46.4%), off takers (22.7%) and credit from IFAD-VCDP (18.8%). Respondents had high level of accessibility to IFAD-VCDP support services (61.9%). High rigour in procurement of credit (0.791), untimely disbursement or delivery of inputs (0.653) and unavailability of adequate credit (0.546) constituted the major constraints in accessing most IFAD support services. A significant relationship existed between sex ( 2=13.569, p<0.05), marital status ( 2= 195.723, p<0.005), annual income ( 2 = 10.908, p< 0.05), source of fund ( 2= 83.462, p<0.05), cultivation type ( 2 = 36.769, p<0.05), household size (r= 0.340**, p<0.05), years of experience (r= 0.479**, p<0.05) and respondents’ access to IFAD-VCDP support services. It is recommended that more effort should be made by IFAD-VCDP to make sure some support services that were least accessible i.e irrigation facilities, threshers, among others be made accessible to farmers.