THE DYNAMICS OF YAM FLOUR MARKETING IN OLORUNDA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OSUN STATE

This study examines yam flour marketing as an agribusiness venture predominantly undertaken by women in the study area. Findings show that the business is profitable, with a gross margin of ₦199,312.84 and a marketing margin of ₦19,575 per capita. All marketers were married, with family sizes ranging from six to ten members, and possessed at least one form of education. The participants were of mixed religious backgrounds and primarily financed their businesses through cooperatives and daily contributions. Retailing white yam flour (90%) was the dominant business activity. Factors influencing profitability included loans, cost of yam flour, transportation costs, and total sales. Loans and total sales positively impacted profitability and were statistically significant at 10% and 1%, respectively, while the cost of yam flour and transportation negatively affected profitability and were statistically significant at 5% and 1%, respectively. The study highlights the critical role of women in agribusiness and identifies key financial and operational factors that affect profitability in yam flour marketing.