Marketing Analysis and Consumption Pattern of Tomato in Oyo State, Nigeria

This study analyzed the marketing system and consumption pattern of tomato in Ogbomoso metropolis of Oyo State. A two-stage sampling method was employed to select one hundred and thirty six (136) respondents. A total of thirty-three (66) tomato marketers and a total of seventy (70) tomato consumers were selected from four major produce markets within Ogbomoso metropolis, using a twostage sampling technique. Descriptive, budgetary and inferential statistics were used to analyze the marketing and consumption data collected from respondents. Findings revealed that the mean age of tomato marketers was 43.3years while that of consumers was 29years, 84.9% compared with 82.9% of sampled marketers and consumers respectively belong to the female gender. The average number of years spent in school was 6years and 15years for the marketers and consumers respectively. Budgetary analysis revealed that tomato marketing is a profitable enterprise with BCR of greater than one. Tomato consumers claimed to consume tomato on daily basis using freshness as the major criteria for purchase and preferred to consume tomato in form of stew. Data analysis further revealed that there is significant relationship between tomato transaction costs and quantity supplied by marketers. The major challenges to tomato marketing and consumption respectively were rapid deterioration in quality and unstable market price.