Transportation Infrastructure as a Determinant of Agricultural Marketing Outcomes among Farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria

This study investigates how transportation infrastructure affects marketing outcomes of agricultural produce in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Transportation infrastructure the most crucial being the condition, accessibility, and reliability of rural roads helps to determine the extent to which farmers are actively able to transport their produce from farm sites to markets, thereby influencing price realization, market participation, and marketing performance. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed, whereby from each of the twelve sampled communities across three local government areas, ten respondents were selected and data obtained through structured interviews. Descriptive statistics and multiple regressions were used to assess the extent of transport-based variables that determined marketing outcomes among smallholder farmers. The study concludes that road conditions, road maintenance, and means of transport availability enhance access to market and marketing efficiency, while poor road conditions and high transport costs adversely affect farmers' income and competitiveness in the markets. The conclusion therefore is that inadequate transportation infrastructure remains a primary constraint in the effective agricultural marketing of Ekiti State. The recommendation is for increased public investment in rural road networks and agricultural logistics services to mitigate transport-related losses while also minimizing transaction costs and enhancing market integration for the farmers.