Marketing and Utilization of Prosopis Africana Condiment in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed and evaluated the marketing and utilization of Prosopis Africana condiment in Makurdi metropolis. Four major markets where prosopis condiment is sold in Makurdi were randomly selected for this study. The markets are wurukum market, north bank market, modern market and high level market. Structured questionnaires, oral interviews and field assessment were used to generate primary data. The data generated were analysed using descriptive statistics. Approximately 6.3%, 8.8%, 78.8% and 6.3% of the marketers of prosopis condiment in Makurdi metropolis fall within the age brackets of 15-25, 26-35, 36-45 and 46-55 years respectively. It was also observed that all the marketers of prosopis condiment in Makurdi are females. Seventy-two percent (72%) of the marketers of prosopis condiment in Makurdi obtain their supply from within the state while 28% get their supply from other states. Production of prosopis condiment in Makurdi is usually done locally with most of the marketers going to the bush by themselves to gather the seeds before processing them. Inadequate storage facilities, poor processing techniques and high cost of transportation are some of the problems encountered in the production and marketing of prosopis condiment in Makurdi metropolis.

Keywords: Prosopis, condiment, production, marketing