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Ozean Journal of Applied Science 2(2), 2009Table 4: Prices Received by Cassava Farmers (Naira per tonnes)Nominal Growth rare % Real Growth rate %2000 14317 3992001 22100 5436 518 29882002 20180 869 4.19 -19112003 19150 510 349 -16772004 19150 0 346 -0.832005 19810 3442000 - 2005 19118 880Source: National Bureau of Statistics Abuja 2005.On the basis of the trend in prices, the output of cassava, income realized by cassava producers over the yearswas estimated and presented in Table 5. Growth in nominal income declined from 54.64% in 2001 to 4.63%in 2003. From the 2003 level, it increased to 16% in 2004 declined again to 2.30% in 2005. In real termsgrowth in producer income declined consistently from 30.11% in 2001 to 16.35% in 2003. In 2004 there wasa recovery in the growth of income when the income recorded 15.04% growth. The recovery in growth ofincome realized from cassava in 2004 can be attributed to tremendous growth in output of cassava (16%) inthe same year. It is noteworthy that in 2004, growth in nominal price stagnated while that has engenderedcassava declined marginally. Thus cassava initiative has engendered higher income that resulted fromincreased output supply of the crop in 2004.Table 5: Prices Received by Cassava Farmers (Naira per Tonnes)Nominal Growth rare % Real Growth rate %2000 458287.17 1 127.672001 708702.80 54.64 166.05 30.112002 660874.82 6.75 137.17 -17.392003 630283.95 4.63 114.74 -16.352004 731127.85 16.00 132.00 15.042005 714308.98 2.302000 - 2005 650597.60 11.39Source: Underlying Data obtained from Federal Ministry of Agriculture and National Bureau of StatisticsProblems Associated with Agricultural Marketing in NigeriaAgricultural marketing efficiency has been bedeviled by both external and internal market related factors(ECA, 1970, Adekanye, 1977). These factors are also peculiar to cassava marketing in Nigeria (FMARD2004). Agricultural markets are poorly developed and had remained so far many years. The markets mayhave served the economy well in the past but currently inadequate in the face of growing demand for productsdue to population growth and changing dietary demand patterns. The inadequacy of transport services in ruralNigeria is palpable. Rural feeder roads are either absent or in very poor conditions. The entire ruralcommunities rely mainly in human transport and the high cost of human portage apart from being too slowresults in high costs marketing high consumer prices and low producer prices.Agricultural marketing information is scarce in Nigeria because the required data are not available and thoseavailable are not well managed to generate the required information to support decision making by theproducers, consumers, government officials and other market participants. There are no official or organizedways of transmitting price information in Nigerian’s agricultural markets; therefore there is no mechanism forcoordinating production activities of the millions of farmers with the demand of millions of individual,corporate and institutional consumers. The paucity of data and information also limit forecasting planningfarm management and marketing practices. Another problem associated with the poor marketing foragricultural produce in Nigeria is the existence of an inefficient and inadequate storage system. As a180