CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Vegetable production is very important in human nutrition, reduces poverty
and improves the social-economic status of the farmers. Vegetables are
important items in the daily diets of the Nigerian family (Adeoye et al., 2011).
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) is a warm season crop in the
cucurbitacea family, watermelon is referred to as a fresh fruit and is highly
appreciated across the globe because it is highly nutritious, with high water
content that helps to quench thirst. It is known to be low in calories, contains
Vitamins C and A which helps address night blindness, eye problems, dry skin,
eczema and psoriasis (Bendich & olson, 1989). It contains potassium which
helps control blood pressure and prevent strokes (Adekunle et al., 2009). In
Nigeria, Watermelon grows well in the humid and drier savannah agro
ecologies. The largest of the crop comes from the northern part of Nigeria
where a suitable agro ecology is found (Adekunle et al., 2007). According to
Sheu et al. (2013). Watermelon production is a profitable enterprise. The main
sources of technical inefficiencies in watermelon enterprise were years of
farming experience, extension contact, membership of cooperative societies,
amount of credit obtained and educational level (Ibrahim et al., 2014). The
global consumption of the crop is greater than that of any of other of its family
but as important as this crop is, just a few know about its market potentials
(Adeoye et al., 2009).
Production is half the work done for any producer, either a farmer or an
agribusiness firm. The other half is marketing the product so that it reaches the
consumer. The term agricultural marketing consists of two words-agriculture
and marketing. Agribusiness management and trade (2013).
Agriculture, in the broadest sense, means activities aimed at the use of natural
resources for human welfare, i.e, it includes all the primary activities of
production. But, generally, it is used to mean growing and/or raisin crops and
livestock. Marketing connotes a series of activities involved in moving the
goods from the point of production to the point of consumption. It includes all
activities involved in the creation of time, place, form and possession utility.
Agribusiness management and trade (2013).
According to Thomsen, the study of agricultural marketing, comprises all the
operations, and the agencies of conducting tem, involved in the movement of
farm-produced foods, raw materials and their derivatives, such as textiles,
from the farms to the final consumer and the effects of such operation on
farmers, middlemen and consumers.
Agricultural marketing is the study of all the activities, agencies and policies
involved in the procurement of farm inputs by the farmers and the movement
of agricultural products from the farms to the consumers. According to the
national commission on agriculture (XII Report), agricultural marketing is a
process which starts with the decision to produce a saleable farm commodity,
and it involves all the aspects of market structure or system, bot functional and
institutional, based on technical and economic considerations and includes
pre-and post-harvest operations, assembling , grading, storage, transportation
and distribution.
Abbot and Makeham (1990), stated that marketing of agricultural
produce begins at the farm when a farmer plans his production to meet
specific demand in the market prospect. Nigeria agriculture is one of the most
important sectors of notable relevance in economic development and growth.
This is because food retains its position as the basis for human existence
(Adegboye, 2004).
Agriculture sector contributes more than 30% of the total annual GDP,
employs about 70% of the labour force, accounts for over 70% of the non-oil
exports and, perhaps most important, provided over 80% food needs of the
country (Adegboye, 2004). One of the major problems faced by Nigerian
populace is nutritional deficiencies. This is due to ignorance of the importance
of fruit which contains high fibre compared to the intake of food with high
calorie. The world health Organization estimates that low fruit and vegetable
intake contributes to approximately 2.7million deaths a year from chronic
diseases and 1% of strokes worldwide. It ranks low fruits and vegetable intake
as the sixth main risk factors for mortality in the world. International Agency
for Research on Cancer (IARC, 2003). Tis is common among low income earners
in Nigeria of which the rural dwellers constitute major part of the population.
High energy food intake at the expense of other nutrients leads to vitamin and
minerals deficiencies that affect people’s health and ultimately reduce their
level of productivity.
Agricultural marketing is a very important sector in farm management.
Marketing has been defined differently by different writers and bodies. Wilson
(1979), defined marketing as the primary management function of
manufacturing suitable product for specialized market, converting consumer
purchasing power in order to attain cooperate objectives. According to Kotler
(1988). The concepts which are important for the understanding of marketing
includes needs, wants, demands, profit, efficiency, value and satisfaction,
exchange transaction and relationship. Marketing begins on the farm wit
planning of production to meet the market specific demands and project and is
completed with the sale of the fresh or processed product to the consumers.
Watermelon is now one of the highly demanded fruit in Nigeria and a single
fruit may cost between two to five hundred naira. The production of
watermelon is mostly from the northern part of the country because they have
the most suitable weather condition and hence, the Hausa tribe dominate the
market. As the awareness of the health benefits of watermelon increases there
is now high demand for it. This means encouragement and higher income to
farmers. Recently, watermelon has now become a common fruit that both the
rich and poor are craving for and it is not uncommon to see the marketers
selling the fruit along the major and minor roads of the urban Nigeria. ( Kassali
et al., 2015), In order to meet customers’ needs at various levels, the
marketers now sell different sizes either as a whole or sliced forms. This makes
the fruits more affordable for the consumers. Though watermelon production
is considered a lucrative business in Nigeria, little is known on how to ensure
its efficient distribution in a way that will maximize the economic returns to
both the farmers and the marketers. (kassali et al., 2015).
1.2 PROBLEMS OF AGRICULTURAL MARKETING
Agricultural marketing involves moving of agricultural products from te
farm to consumers. Marketing of these products is faced with different
problems which include;
 Lack of credit facilities: poor farmers does not have access to credit
facilities because of its inadequacy so they tend to borrow capital from
private lenders at unfavourable conditions.
 Seasonal variation of crops: watermelon has seasons and this causes
instability in price among marketers
 Lack of transportation facilities: this is a main obstacle that is in the way
of efficient marketing. The roads linking the rural areas to the market are
bad and lots of products are wasted due to transport problem.
 Lack of storage facilities: The government does not have enough store
provision for keeping reserve stock and this leads to spoilage of the
 product. The farmers need storage to sell their product at a suitable
time.
 Role of middleman: The middleman takes a big share of farmer income
without doing anything
 Lack of grading: there is no proper method of grading these products,
the bad ones are mixed with the good ones and this create problems of
marketing.
 Lack of efficiency and co-operation among marketer’s association.
 Market news: most farmers in under developed countries are
uneducated and they know little or nothing about the market
conditions. So the farmers are unable to achieve the real price of his
product
 Poor quality of product: Farmers refuse to use improved seeds and
fertilizers because of the fear of change so quality of production is poor
and its prices are low in the market.
 Language barrier: Since most of the marketers are from the north,
language is a huge barrier that affects sales because the buyer does not
understand the seller.
1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT
A country that wants to efficiently feed its people pays attention not only
to food production but also to transportation of food produce which are
highly perishable to the populace for consumption and proper utilization.
Njoku (1994), said transport cost accounted for the highest percentage
(74%)of marketing cost. The price for the conveyance exceeds the price for
the watermelon. Watermelon is affected by the following problems,
bulkiness, danger of bad weather, perishable, diseases and pests. An
effective storage facility for tis crop is not available in the country,
therefore, there are losses due to preservation problems and tis as led to
lots of wastage. An inadequate transport facility is a major problem limiting
the development of agriculture in Nigeria climatic change also affect the
maturity and rot of the watermelon. Watermelon is important in human
diet and should be efficiently transported and marketed to the public for
consumption.
It is because of this that the study intends to look into the following
questions
 I. What is the socio-economic characteristics of watermelon marketers
in Ilorin metropolis?
II. What is the market margin and marketing efficiency adopted by the
marketers?
III. What are the factors affecting watermelon marketing?
IV. What are factors limiting the marketing of watermelon?

1.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The general objective of this study was to examine the efficiency of the
marketing system of watermelon enterprise in the study area.
THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES WERE TO:
I. Analyse the socio-economic characteristics of watermelon marketers.
II. Estimate the performance of watermelon marketing.
III. Examine the factors affecting the price of watermelon.
IV. Identify the factors limiting the marketing of watermelon.

1.1 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY

Watermelon has now become a common fruit that both the rich and poor
are craving for and it is not uncommon to see the marketers selling the fruit
along the major and minor roads of the urban Nigeria. An efficient marketing
sector as a dynamic role to play in stimulating output and consumption, It can
guide farmers into empowerment to demand and supply.
This study is justified in the sense that it looks into various functions of
marketing that are of primary importance in promoting economic activities of
watermelon enterprise and the advantage that will accrue to them if products
has easier access to the market, the product pricing, cost of marketing
activities and the marketing margin.
The study will help the government focus more effort on the development of
market which consequently will expand trade, raise the level of all concerned
and add to the economic wealth of the community.
1.6 PLAN OF STUDY
The remaining part of this study comprises of the following: chapter two
reviews relevant literatures, chapter three highlights the methodology used in
the study. Chapter four represents the data analysis and discussion of findings
of study and chapter five gives a summary of findings, conclusions and
recommendations.