| Summary: | Four assumptions--
1. That there is an effective and potential demand for processed
fruit products in the Western State of Nigeria.
2. That current supply of raw materials in the Western State
of Nigeria is more than sufficient to meet the increased demand
which the short-term addition or expansion (or both) of market opportunities
as provided by processors will stimulate.
3. That farmers could be better-off economically by widening
their margin.
4. That while a processing unit may have many objectives, like
survival, large size, power and status, the overriding motive of the
unit is to try to maximize profit.
-- were made in conducting this study which is an attempt to understand
the impact a particular processing firm in the Western State of
Nigeria has made on farmers in its surrounding, and a postulate of
the role such firms could play in the improvement and expansion of
fruit crop production, especially in the context of the stage of development
Nigeria is today.
With orange and pineapple as fruits of emphasis, the field work,
done in Nigeria, took 59 days (July 20, 1970, to September 17, 1970);
45 days spent in interviewing farmers, 12 days in watching processing
activities of 'Blaize'--the fruit processor; and 2 days taken off in-between.
Three major issues examined are
1. The system of farming practiced by the producers--farmers
producing for Blaize--particularly the farming changes (if any) induced
by the addition or expansion (or both) of market opportunities
as provided by the processor--'Blaize'.
2. The organization, activities and program of the processor-buyer
(Blaize) as they relate to the purchase of orange and pineapple
from Abeokuta area.
3. The kind of relationship which has been established between
the processor firm (Blaize) and farmers who supply to it.
Findings are:
1. The area of land planted to orange and pineapple in Abeokuta
has been increasing over the years.
2. Farmers are responsive to price incentives; and are willing
to increase their productivity to take advantage of profit opportunities,
but they tend to guard against a long-term curtailment of food production.
3. Farmers earn their most cash-income from farming.
4. Nonfarm activities of the present farmers provide an increasingly
smaller resource potential for production increase.
5. Capital, labor, good roads and transport are major constraints
on farmers' production in Abeokuta area.
6. Abeokuta farmers diversify, but they grow more crops
for domestic market than for export.
7. Land-use in Abeokuta features 9.2 percent devoted to ara-ables,
16.3 percent to tree crops, about 11.6 percent and 15.4 percent
devoted to orange and pineapple, respectively; and 60 percent
still residual. Average land-size per farm family is 32.7 acres,
all scattered on an average of 8.6 plots.
8. Fruit growers in Abeokuta area are market oriented.
9. People in age brackets (26-37) and (37-46), as compared
with other age brackets, have the largest amount of land, are more
numerous, and are more market oriented.
Areas of possible further investigation are:
1. Analysis of consumer demand.
2. The difficulties which may be faced by the expansion of
processed fruit products when such will be meant for exports.
3. Promotional measures, and the utilization of by-products
of processing plants.
4. Analysis of the existing marketing channels and services.
5. Capacity assessment of any given processor-plant.
6. The determination of the most suitable location of any
proposed plant. === Graduation date: 1973
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