ABSTRRACT
This paper focused on the diversification of mango agribusiness for greater profitability and poverty reduction among marketers in Oredo local government area, five research questions were formulated to guide the study. The study employed survey research design. The population for the study comprised of a hundred and sixty-three (163) fruit marketers in Oredo local government area of Edo state. A simple random sampling technique was used in the selection of participant, the sample size was made up of (115) randomly selected marketers from Oredo local government area in Edo state. Validation was made by two experts in the department of Vocational and technical education and the other from the department of crop science, in university of Benin, Benin City, Edo state. In establishing the reliability of the questionnaire, test re-test was used. The instrument was first administered to 20 persons who were not part of the population of the study and it was repeated after a week and 5days to the same respondent, the scores were analyzed using Cronbach alpha formular method, and a reliability coefficient of 0.843 was obtained. The questionnaire was administered by the researcher and was collected at the spot.
The findings shows that mango can be used for the production of various product and majority of the respondent are aware of this products, and it was also revealed that mango agribusiness can be diversified but majority of the respondent are involved in just one of the agribusiness, also various marketing channels are available for the transfer of mango fruit from producer to consumers and that the problem of inadequate infrastructure, insufficient manpower, inadequate power supply, etc., hinders the diversification of mango agribusiness.
This work also recommended that funds in form of loans, incentives and subsidies should be provided by the Government to Pomologist to increase their capital base, government should create a standard market outside the country in order to improve the international mango market, workshop and seminars should be organized for agricultural educationist and extension workers to enlighten people about the products from mango fruit.
