Determinants of Profitability Difference among Fluted Pumpkin and Green Amaranth Vegetable Marketers in Enugu State Nigeria.
Profitability in green amaranth and fluted pumpkin vegetables is of core essence among various marketers who also produce them. Profitability contributes to persistent variation in poverty and food insecurity among the marketers. Understanding the factors affecting the profitability among the actors in the marketing of the most common vegetable crops and the underlying socio-economic factors influencing it presents a veritable approach in the transformation of vegetables in Nigeria. In view of the aforementioned, the study assessed the profitability difference of selected vegetable marketers in Enugu State, Nigeria. The study specifically described the socioeconomic characteristics of the vegetable marketers; determined the profitability in the marketing of fluted pumpkin and green amaranth; compared the profitability in the marketing of fluted pumpkin and green amaranth; analysed the factors affecting the profitability among marketers of fluted pumpkin and green amaranth; determined the factors constraining the marketers’ profitability of these vegetables. A total of 120 respondents were sampled from the area, comprising of 60 green amaranth marketers and 60 fluted pumpkin marketers. The data generated were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The profitability analysis of fluted pumpkin and green amaranth marketers revealed that a gross margin of ₦25,210.0 was made by the fluted pumpkin marketers and ₦23,572.0 was made by the green amaranth marketers per month. The results of the analysis of factors affecting profitability among the fluted pumpkin marketers and green amaranth marketers revealed five variables to be significant viz: household size (-7.9043 and -7.3153), gender of the household head (0.372203 and 0.3948026), access to credit (-2.8746 and -3.0151), machinery access (8.16172 and 8.018447) except for farm size (0.1244789) which was significant for only fluted pumpkin marketers.
Key words: Profitability, Vegetable marketing, Gross margin analysis, Fluted Pumpkin, Green amaranth.
