ANALYSIS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CONSTRAINTS OF SWEET MELON (CUCUMIS MELON) AND WATERMELON (CITRULLUS LUNATUS) MARKETERS IN GOMBE AND BAUCHI STATES OF NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the marketing institutions and channels for sweet melon and water melon in Bauchi and Gombe States, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 300 sweet melon and water melon marketers from 18 markets, 135 marketers were selected from Bauchi State and 165 from Gombe State. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics which include frequency, percentage and ranking method. The result revealed that majority (99%) of sweet melon and water melon marketers were men, married (67.7%), young and active with the mean age of 36 years and a mean family size of 6 people per household. Moreover, 63.3% of the marketers had one form of western education or the other with the mean marketing experience of 9 years. The result also indicated that majority of the marketers with majority being full time sweet melon and water melon marketers and sourced their marketing funds through family and friends. In conclusion, sweet melon and water melon marketers were found to be men, married, young and active with the small number of people per household. Moreover, the marketers had one form of western education or the other and had reasonable years of marketing experience with majority of them being full time marketers and sourced their marketing funds through family and friends. Inconsistence and poor price and poor transportation facilities constituted the major problems to sweet melon and water melon marketing in the study area. The study recommended that government, market’ union leaders and other stakeholders should assist and encourage marketers in providing, procuring and utilizing marketing facilities.