Microeconomic Analysis of Marketing Selected Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in AWGU Agricultural Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

Non-timber forest products have the capability of providing food, being a source of livelihood and income generation for the rural households. This study investigated the marketing of selected non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in Awgu Agricultural zone, Enugu state of Nigeria. The study sought after the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, identified some of the NTFPs, and ascertained the profitability of NTFP marketing as well as the constraints facing NTFPs in the study area. With the use of data collection instrument, 90 respondents were interviewed from five (5) main rural markets across the two local government areas in the study area. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, net income analysis, benefit cost ratio, and profitability index. Results indicate that NTFP marketing is profitable with a gross margin of, N9,000 for bitter kola, N4,500 for ogbono, N1,200 for utazi, N1,300 for ukazi, N6,000 for grass cutter, also a net income of N7,297; N2,797; N309; N409 and N2,330 respectively for them. The benefit-cost ratio result also shows that for every N1 the marketer puts into marketing these selected NTFPs, N1.20kobo; N1.20kobo; N1.10kobo; N1.10kobo and N1.60kobo were realized for; bitter kola, ogbono, utazi, ukazi, and grasscutter respectively.