Marketing of Paddy Rice in Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria

This study assessed marketing of paddy rice in Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect primary data from 100 Paddy rice marketers using structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using mean, frequency, marketing margin, efficiency models, Gini coefficient, Lorenz curve and t-test Result of the study revealed that marketing margin varied between -5.5 and 100 with an average of 31.5%. The marketing efficiency was between 1.3 and 110.7 with a mean of 34.3. The result for market structure reveals a Gini coefficient of 0.495 for retailers, 0.567 for wholesalers and 0.515 for processors. Marketing of paddy rice in the study area was constrained by three factors namely: physical factors, financial factors and market related factors. Marketing of paddy in the study area depicts inefficient market and imperfect competition. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made; there should be provision of basic infrastructures like good roads, functional storage facilities, credit institutions to improve on the marketing efficiency of paddy rice marketing.