THE MARKETING/DISTRIBUTION OF STULE FOOD IN ENUGU (A CASE STUDY OF OGBETE MEAN MARKET

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

    Today the mentioning of the word marketing has a lost of things and meaning to send to a layman. The word marketing has to be understood and interpreted by any layman as meaning the same thing as trading. It is in this view that we say that it starts before production and ends after consumption. We also talked about societal marketing concept, which puts the entire society into consideration when emphasizes on selling.

           In an attempt to define the marketing it is good to look at some definition given some authorities and professionals in the tied .It should also noted that these is the general accepted definition of marketing rather each person tries to look at marketing to the function performed by him.

          Therefore we would not make mistake by saying that there are as many marketers.

          According to Philip Kotler (1980) marketing is the human activity through exchange process. This definition has some key words as the operative words such as need wants and exchange need. This is defining as a state of felt. Deprivation in person.

Wants-Are The expression of human as they are shaped by a person culture and individual development. And wants must be meaningful to marketer.

Exchange- is obtaining a desire objective from some one offering in return to some thing of value.

                   Nwokoye (1981) define marketing as  the set of activates tat facilitate exchange transaction involving economic goods and service for the ultimate purpose of satisfying human needs. The activities here include product development production adding transportation storage promotion distribution and pricing etc.

              Ifezue (1990) define marking as a process which identifies anticipates and satisfies consumers need an wants through conception promotion mutual  exchange and physical distribution  of comic good services yet institute  of marketing London (1943) defined marketing as a management process which identifies anticipate and supplies consumers requirement efficiently and profitable form the above definitions one can look at the application of marketing knowledge to the marketing of yam.

1.2                    STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVE

          Before now the production of yam used to be a very level and because of this yam was left mechanized. Through some attempts were  made towards increasing the output but not much has been achieved. It is based on the above reason that I have chosen to find out  the problem inherent in the distribution and marketing  of yam in Enugu State.

Problem, which was identified, falls in the following.

Price of yam is very high because of loading by middlemen and it is a real problem because of scarcity created by the activities of these middlemen.

The quality of yam supplied to the market urban town cities are not enough which leads to price variation at different market and it is caused by ineffective system of distribution lack of information with the yam market has created a problem of duping of the product (yam) at the point of production and scarcity of at town cities.

1.3     STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVE

The major objective of this study is to evaluate the marketing of yam in Enugu State. This word wants to pay a particular attention to discover the problems of yam marketing and distribution.

Evaluate the possible means reducing or remove entirely the activities of the middleman to remove the problem of hoarding.

Evaluate the best possible means of distribution to be in marketing the product  (yam) so that it will be available in the urban town and cities through the market.

   Appreciate the channel of information flow, which will help bridge the communication gap that exists in the yam market in the state.

 To make recommendation base on the  finding of possible ways of solving  the problems affecting yam marketing and distribution in Enugu metropolis.

RESEARCH QUESTION

How can the problem (s) inherent in yam marketing and restriction be implored?

What are the possible means of reducing or removing entirely the activities of the middlemen to remove the problem of hoarding?

What are the best possible means or best dist6ribution to strategy to be used in marketing the product (yam) available in the urban town and cities through the market?

How can one appreciate the channel of information flow, which will help bridge the communication gap that exist in the yam market in the state.

The general bases of distribution of yam in the market

The need to make better and efficient supply of yam market and the state as well

To promote a reliable way and adequate means of distribution from the source to the market.

To show and check problems of hoarding and inefficiency in the manner of distributing yams in the market.

THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY LIMIT TO OGBOTE MAIN MARKET.

     In every endeavor in ones life one must encounter some problems but one keeps going and overcoming the problems.

   At different stages of this work the researcher encountered a lot of setbacks. Almost them was low level of literacy among the traders which unfortunately is serious inhibitor to all research efforts that have to do with consumer and producers especially of yam.

This study focusing on marketing and distribution of yam had its own share of the limitations consequently, it would be difficult to buy all the books and visit the market always to know exactly the actual means by which this staple food (yam) was being transported from its producers to the market.

Going always would involve much finance, which will be sponsored from my manager pocket money therefore.