Poverty Level of Cassava Flakes (GARI) Marketers in Osogbo Agricultural Zone, Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the poverty level of cassava flakes (gari) marketers in Orolu, Boripe and Egbedore local government areas in Osun state. A multi-stage sampling method was employed to select one hundred and eighty (180) respondents. Analytical tools employed in the study include the descriptive statistics, FGT P-alpha, budgetary, and ordinary least squares regression.  Findings revealed that nearly all (96.7%) the study respondents were female. Respondents’ mean age was 43.98 years (economic active age) and the mean household size was 9 members. Also 76.7 percent of the marketers had some level of formal education, while 23.3% had no formal education. 28% of the marketers were living below the poverty line. The poverty headcount, poverty gap and severity indexes of the marketers were 28%, 11.6% and 6.0% respectively. Marital status and household size were negatively significantly related to the respondents’ poverty level. The gross margin which was N43, 645.33, showed that gari marketing is profitable in the study area. It is therefore recommended that the marketers should be enlightened to maintain small household size by participating in family planning programme. They should also be involved in cooperatives and social groups.

Keywords: poverty, garri marketers, FGT and budgetary analysis