Farmers’ access to agro-industries as alternative market for agricultural produce in Ife- East Local Government Area of Osun State

Abstract

This paper examined farmers’ access to agro-industries as alternative market for agricultural produce in Ife-East Local Government Area of Osun State. Primary data were collected with the aid of well-structured questionnaire from a total of randomly selected120 farmers from Ife-East Local Government Area (LGA) of Osun State. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and probit regression analytical technique. Results reveal that the mean age of respondents from the study area was 55 years. Majority (95.0%) had farming as their primary occupation and all the respondents had access to agro-industries. The binary probit regression model reveals marital status (-0.93) and secondary education (0.55) affected farmers’ access to agro-industries. The study concluded that farmers had access to and benefited from agro-industries but faced challenges such as poor road network, low levels of human capital as well as lack of good storage facilities. The study therefore recommended that communities, private organizations and government should partner to provide modern infrastructures such as accessible road network, improved storage facilities. Also, private organizations and government should motivate, encourage and equip agro-industries that are still in their infancy. The key policy implication is that there is need to improve on the efficiency of agro-industries’ services in the study area as well as more synergy between the farm, farmers and industries.