The Role of Road Transportation in the Marketing of Agricultural Produce among Farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the pivotal role of road transportation in the marketing of agricultural produce among farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Road transportation is a critical infrastructure that facilitates the movement of goods from rural agricultural areas to urban markets, thereby linking producers to consumers and enhancing market accessibility. Multi-stage sampling techniques were used to select ten (10) respondents from each of the twelve communities across the three local government areas with the aid of structured interviews. Descriptive statistics and Multiple regression techniques served as the main method of data analysis. The study's findings uncovered a positive influence of road quality, road provision and maintenance, mode of transportation, and age and a negative influence of the annual income of farmers in the study area. The research found that the road network has a big impact on the marketing of agricultural produce in Ekiti State. Based on the result of the study it was recommended that adequate logistic services that will reduce quantitative and qualitative losses should be made available to marketers by the government as this will help to reduce post-harvest losses, deterioration in quality, and transportation problems facing marketers in the study.