EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF ROAD NETWORK ON THE SELLING OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN ANAMBRA STATE

EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF ROAD NETWORK ON THE SELLING OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN ANAMBRA STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Food production is geographically disposed and it is not an easy work, like food production centers with the production center.

The Nigerian food industry for example depends on the distribution of food it produces. Most of the food produced cannot get to the market due to the acute road network difficulties that will serve the food industry. Food production therefore depend upon road network for the creation and preservation of their values. The effect and the importance of road was critically investigated in this study with a particular product in Njikoka Anambra State Nigeria.

Food production is one of the priority facing most of the world’s people today. It is also a problem that may worsen rapidly in the years ahead.

According to the Food Agricultural Organization (FAO), food production of the developing countries will increase by a staggering 125% by 2010. On the other hand, problems relating to rural penetration have contributed to wooing the world and particular Nigeria Agriculture.

It is because of the above problems that the government must intensify efforts to improve the road networks especially in the rural areas.

Collection and individual efforts should be directed towards fighting a war against hunger and the provision of road network to allocate the agricultural products. Investment decision in agricultural policy can help to ensure supply of additional food and its distribution to consumers.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Since the early years of man, agriculture and road network have always co-existed together due to the source of food and other economics products must be accessible for the collection distribution to market port and factories.

It is important that adequate and effective road network should be introduced or encouraged to achieve the modern food selling system objectives. Transportation is therefore to serve as a means of marketing goods. In Njikoka Anambra State, most of the network do not pass within the agricultural areas and thereby hinder agricultural progress. In some rural areas, most of the road network which passes through agricultural areas from farm to the market places is often too bad all the years for easy transportation. Most of these feeders road networks are interfaced narrow, poorly drained that they prevent easy access to the interlard where the majority of the farmers are located.

There are also the problems of maintenance, adequate executive capacity suitable materials and management where the road networks are in fair conditions.

Beside the poor condition of the feeder road network delay in transport, bad loading and offloading and rough handling goods result to great damages spoilage and deterioration of products.

Poor road network also has the additional effect of preaching from the specializing in the corps that offer attempt to keep his family supplied with all their needs and therefore retains food than he adequately needs. This is because if he runs shortage, it will be difficult to tap other resources and this entails. Higher cost as a result of road network. It often poses a problem because urban dwellers will be faced with shortage of food staff and other essential goods manufactured from agricultural materials these problems will hinder the ability to import system of land use for agricultural production.

If agriculture is to respond to the growing demand then it will be necessary to involve a good progressive rural structure with rural roads to quicken and reduce the cost of the flow of agricultural commodities, information and ball sort of rural services to enable contribute meaningfully to generate growth.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The general objective of this study is to determine the impact of road network on the selling of agricultural products in Anambra State. A case study of Njikoka Local Government in Anambra State.

The objectives of this study are to:

1. Identify those factors that all directly and indirectly related to the selling of agricultural products and to what extent they have contributed to the rise and fall of agricultural products.
2. Determine the extent which road transport system has affected the selling of Agricultural products in Anambra State.
3. Offer useful recommendation with a view of making the selling of agricultural product in Anambra State more successful and effective.