Consumption In Urban And Rural Areas Of Enugu State, Nigeria.

PATTERNS AND DETERMINANTS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE

ABSTRACT

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the patterns and determinants

of fruit and vegetable consumption in urban and rural areas of Enugu State,

Nigeria. The study was articulated based on the fact that despite the relatively

cheap and abundant sources of micro nutrients found in fruits and vegetables,

there abound wide spread cases of micro nutrient deficiencies. The data was

collected from primary sources through a set of questionnaire administered to

240 respondents. The study employed both purposive and random sampling

technique in the selection of the respondents. The data collected were analysed

using descriptive statistics, Working –Leser functional form of regression and ztest

statistic. Citrus, mango, plantain/banana, pineapples, papaya, star apple

were the major types of fruits consumed, while, telferia, tomatoes, onions,

garden eggs, okra and oha were the major vegetables consumed by the

households. The result also showed that the average monthly consumption of

fruit per household during the dry season was 17.8kg and 9.8kg for urban and

rural areas, respectively while the average monthly consumption per household

of fruits during the rainy season was 15.32kg and 12.87kg for urban and rural

areas, respectively. It was 8.68kg for urban and 23.29kg for rural areas for

vegetables during the dry season while it was 6.98kg for urban areas and

28.43kg for rural areas per monthly per household during the rainy season. The

average budget share was 0.0849 for vegetables for households in the urban

areas and 0.0690 for those in the rural areas. When pooled together; it was

0.0828 for fruits and 0.0769 for vegetables. Household’s monthly expenditure,

number of adult females, age of household head, educational attainment of the

household head, price, season and sex were determinants of fruit consumption

in the urban areas. Total monthly expenditure, number of children, number of

adult females, age of household head, educational attainment of household head

and sex were determinants of vegetable consumption in the urban areas. In the

rural areas, number of children, age of the household head, educational

attainment of the household head, price of fruits and season were determinants

of fruits consumption, whereas, total expenditure, number of adult males,

number of adult females, age of household head, educational attainment of the

household head and price of vegetables were determinants of vegetable

consumption. All these variables were significant at various levels of

probability ranging from one to ten percent with different signs. Income

elasticities were below one; ranging from 0.47 to 0.70. The income elasticity for

fruit in urban areas was 0.60 and 0.47 in the rural areas. It was 0.60 for

vegetables in the urban areas and 0.49 in the rural areas. It is therefore

recommended that there is need to put in place policies to promote and support

fruit and vegetable consumption. Secondly, attention should focus on the

processing of fruits and vegetables into forms that can be stored. This will

reduce post – harvest losses as well as making fruits and vegetables available in

all the seasons. Again, education and behaviour change programmes to promote

fruit and vegetable consumption should be mounted. Fruit and vegetable

production should be encouraged particularly in the rural areas. In the same

vein, feeder roads should be built and already built ones maintained. This will

help transport these produce to the urban areas. This will also promote availability and affordability of these products.