Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
NAJ supports free online communication and exchange of knowledge as the most effective way of ensuring that the fruits of research and development practice are made widely available. It is therefore committed to open access, which, for authors, enables the widest possible dissemination of their findings and, for readers, increases their ability to discover pertinent information. The Journal adopts and uses the CC: BY license and is open access. This license lets others distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the Journal’s published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work. Copyright for articles published in this Journal is retained by the Journal.
Main Article Content
Profitability of Cashew Nut Processing and Marketing in Enugu State, Nigeria
Abstract
The study assessed the profitability of cashew nut processing and marketing in Enugu State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study described the socio-economic characteristics of the cashew nut processors, examined the channels in which cashew nut is marketed, estimated the cost and returns of cashew nut processing and marketing, and assessed the factors affecting the profitability of cashew marketing. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed in selecting 126 respondents out of which 95 questionnaires were returned and used for the study. Primary data used were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, and means; gross margin analysis and multiple regression analysis. The study showed that the major marketing channel of cashew nut marketing was the use of sale agents (70.5%) and retailers to consumers (65.3%). The cost and return analysis of cashew nut processing and marketing revealed the net return to investment as 0.20, 0.37, 0.34 and 0.29 for processors to wholesalers, wholesalers to retailers, retailers to consumers, and use of sale agents respectively, indicating that out of every Naira (N) spent on cashew processing and marketing, 20, 37, 34 and 29 Kobo accrued as the net profit respectively, thus indicating that cashew processing and marketing is profitable in the study area. The study showed that age, years of experience, amount processed and amount sold were significant factors affecting the profitability of cashew nut processing and marketing all at a 5% probability level. The study recommended that Government should invest in cashew nut production through the establishment of more cashew tree plantations and planting of improved cashew seedlings; and enlighten cashew processors on the more profitable marketing channels.
