ANALYSIS OF GENDER ROLES IN OIL PALM VALUE CHAIN IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study carried out an analysis of gender roles in oil - palm value chain in Ondo State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling procedure was adopted in the selection of 180 respondents. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered on the selected respondents. The respondents for this study were various categories of actors in the oil palm value chain, 60 producers/ farmers, 60 processors and 60 marketers was selected. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, Gross Margin analysis, Duncan Index of Dismilliarity and Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance. The findings revealed that male respondents dominated the production stage (78%) while the female dominated the processing and marketing stages (56.7%) and (91.7%) respectively. The age of farmers, processors and marketers ranged between 40 – 60 years. About 87.2% and 84.6% of male and female farmers was married, 44.4% of male and 88.9% of women processors was married while 84.3% of marketers was married. Furthermore, 41.7% and 29.2% of farmers completed at least primary and tertiary education, while 33.3% of male and 55.6% of female processors had secondary school education, 60% and 68% of male and female have secondary education. The key actors along the oil - palm value chain are the producers (farmers), processors and the marketers of the final output. Gender role profileing showed that movement of fruits to processing site, sterilization, pulp pressing/milling, preservation and marketing were mainly done by women. Bunch harvesting, quartering of bunches, stripping, digesting and clarification were predominantly male activities. Male dominate the production stage by 78.3% while Female dominate the processing and marketing by 56.7% and 91.7% respectively The Duncan’s Index of Dissimiliarities showed that men dominated the production stage while the women dominated the processing and marketing areas of the value chain. The results from the gross margin analysis showed that male and female oil palm producers made profit of N1,544,149.56 and N1,128,603.33 annually, the male and female palm oil processors male made N400,780.29 and N705,559.70 annually, female Palm kernel oil processors made N286,288.90 annually, Palm oil marketers male made N1,335,360.00, female made N883,932.59 annually respectively. The result of the gross margin analysis indicated that palm oil business is a viable and profitable business compared to palm kernel oil business in the study area. The major constraints facing the producers, processors and marketers are: inadequate fund, high cost of labour, non availability of inputs, high cost of inputs, high transportation cost, no support from government and lack of good road. The study therefore concluded that the operation in the oil palm value chain is profitable