Effect of Post-Harvest Losses in the Marketing of Leafy Vegetable Among Leafy Vegetable Marketers in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State Nigeria

Leafy vegetables offer both nutritional benefits and great economic potentials in boosting food security, yet their perishable nature may lead to huge post-harvest losses and food insufficiency. The study undertook an analysis on the Effect of Post-Harvest Losses among Leafy Vegetable Marketers in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. The study specifically determines the socio-economic characteristics Leafy vegetable marketers; the causes of losses during marketing by respondents; extent of post-harvest losses; socio-economic factors that influence post-harvest losses; identifying constrains faced by respondents within the study area. A sample size of 110 respondents was derived through the use of purposive sampling techniques. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression analysis and pearson correlation technique were used to analyzed the objectives while t-test was used to test the hypotheses. Primary data were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire. The study reveals that majority of the marketer were female (64.5%) the mean age 36year, singles were (70%), highest level of education were those who completed the secondary school (22.7%) and college of education (22.7%), marketing experience from 4-6 year (50%), household size from 4 below (50.9%). The study revealed that the major causes of post-harvest losses from the results were high temperature (57%), pest and disease infestation (56%), contaminants/filthy environment (60%), lack of proper storage facilities (61%). The extent of post-harvest losses with mean amount ₦21,925.91, minimum amount ₦13,500 and maximum amount ₦34,000. The relationship between post-harvest and market returns in the study reveals that mean returns ₦31,645.4, mean value of post-harvest losses ₦21,925.91and the Pearson Correlation is 0.06, level of significant is 0.533 (not significant). In conclusion, lack of storage facilities, rapid deterioration in quality of leafy vegetables were the most significant constraints faced by leafy vegetable marketers in the study area. Hence, proper storage facility should be made available by government agencies and vegetable marketers to control spoilage; government should make rural roads accessible for easy transportation of vegetables and marketers should buy the quantity of vegetables they can sell in a day at a time.