Analysis of determinants of demand for sweet potatoes by households in Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Abstract

This study examined the Determinants of Demand for Consumption of Sweet Potatoes by Households in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The objectives were to: describe the socio-economic characteristic of the respondents, examine the income and expenditure level, determine factors that affects demand for sweet potatoes and identify constraints faced by the respondents. A multi-stage sampling technique was used in the selection of 130 respondents. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis. The result revealed that 76.9% of the respondent were male with mean age of 42 years, and 71.5% of the respondents were married with mean household size of 2 persons. The average monthly income of the respondents was ₦65,853.85, while average monthly expenditure on food was ₦9,986.22, with a mean of ₦1,091.15 being spent on sweet potatoes monthly. The result of the regression shows that the educational level, the income level of the respondents, the price of substitutes crops and taste preferences of the respondents, were statistically significant at 1%, 1%, 1% and 5% levels respectively in affecting the demand of sweet potatoes by households in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The major constraints faced by sweet potato consumers in the study area include difficulty to store sweet potato for long time, perishability of the product, price fluctuation,The study recommends better means of storage by the consumers and price review for affordability.