MUSHROOM DEMAND AND POVERTY INCIDENCE AMONG MUSHROOM CONSUMERS IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

• A. E. H. Adegbenjo

  Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

  Author

Mushroom has economic, food and medicinal value to a large proportion of human populace. This study assessed the rate of mushroom demand and the poverty level among mushroom consumers in the study area. Non-probability sampling method was used to select 30% of Local Government Areas (LGAs) from Lagos (5), Ogun (6) and Oyo (9) States. Four communities were selected purposively from each LGA and a snow-ball sampling approach used in selecting 5 respondents from each community, making a total of 400 respondents. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, Linear Almost Ideal Demand System (LA-AIDS) model was used to estimate the elasticity of mushroom demand while Foster Greer Thorbecke (FGT) was used to determine poverty incidence among the respondents. Comparing mushroom with other related food items using LAAIDS, the log likelihood ratio (R2) value ranged from 0.1823 for mushroom to 0.7602 for 'ponmo', while the compensated own price for all the food items were far from 1, indicating that the demand for these food items were price inelastic. From FGT analysis, 28.5% were below the poverty line, showing that most of these mushroom consumers are not poor. The rate of mushroom demand is increasing and therefore, there is need to encourage mushroom cultivation and production in the country. Key Words- Poverty line; Elasticity, Snow-ball, Price inelastic, Food Food consumption has been a subject of research all over the world especially in developing countries where food expenditure accounts for a relatively large share of household income. Studies on food consumption shed light on food related nutritional policies. They provide estimate of how food consumption is affected by change in price, income and taxation policies (Dunne and Edkins, 2008). Food consumption in Nigeria has been an important issue, not only because it is related to poverty and food security, but also because it is highly correlated with the standard of living and household resource. Introduction Mushrooms have long been valued as tasty, nutritious food by different societies throughout the world. In the developing world, including Africa, mushrooms are used as food and medicine in many societies. Edible mushrooms include many fungal species that are either harvested wild or cultivated. Easily cultivatable and common wild mushrooms are often available in markets, and those that are more difficult to obtain (such as the prized truffle and matsutake) may be collected on a smaller scale by private gatherers. Some preparations may render certain poisonous mushrooms fit for consumption (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Edible_mushroom). Due to the nutritional and medicinal values of mushrooms, its role in food security, environmental conservation, and income generation; this study therefore, examined the rate of mushroom demand and its consumption among the poor and non-poor in Ogun, Oyo and Lagos States of south western Nigeria. Mushrooms are a nutritionally sound food that are of even greater value to vegetarian. They are added to sauces and relishes for flavouring, often they are consumed as meat substitutes. The importance of mushroom in the agrarian economy of the world needs no emphasis because of its nutritional and medicinal value. The mushrooms have long ago drawn attention of human beings as a food, nutritionally and medicinally and are a leading food component (Chilton, 1993). Methodology Data Collection and Sampling Procedure The instrument of data collection was structured questionnaire. Non probability sampling method was used for this study. Based on reconnaissance survey, 3 States were selected from Southwest Nigeria; they are Lagos, Oyo and Ogun States. From each State, sampling 61

1. A. E. H. Adegbenjo, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

   Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

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