SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE OF VEGETABLE MARKETERS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR POST-HARVEST LOSS MANAGEMENT IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study characterised vegetable marketers in Plateau State, Nigeria, using data from 360 marketers sampled across 16 markets in nine Local Government Areas (LGAs) during the 2022 cropping season. Descriptive statistics including frequency and percentages were employed. Results revealed that marketers were predominantly married females (60%) with an average age of 34.08 years, placing them squarely within their economically active years. Substantial proportion possessed primary (40%)  or secondary (34%) education, and had accumulated an average of 13.11 years of marketing experience. The household sizes averaged seven persons, revealing substantial economic pressure and motivation for market participation. Educational qualification and years of experience were identified as the two primary socio-economic characteristics differentiating loss levels among marketers, with higher education and greater experience associated with lower loss rates. These findings accentuate the need for targeted capacity-building programmes, market literacy interventions, and gender-sensitive agricultural extension services to empower vegetable marketers and reduce post-harvest losses in Plateau State and comparable agrarian contexts.