Crosssectional analysis of food demand in the North Central, Nigeria

• Published in: China agricultural economic review 2009-01, Vol.1 (2), p.173-193
• Main Authors: Elijah Obayelu, Abiodun, Okoruwa, V.O., Ajani, O.I.Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Food products; Nigeria; Supply and demand
• ISSN: 1756-137X
• DOI: 10.1108/17561370910927426

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of socioeconomic variables on households' food demand. This paper derived the indirect utility function in terms of expenditure and price through the use of nonlinear demand quadratic almost ideal demand system QUAIDS model to estimate price, expenditure and elasticities of food items consumed in the NorthCentral, Nigeria, and the impact of the socioeconomic variables on households' food demand. Designmethodologyapproach The primary data used came from random selection of 396 households between 2006 and 2007 through a stratified random sampling procedure from Kwara and Kogi states making up the North Central zone in Nigeria. Findings All own price elasticities of the six food groups analyzed root and tubers RT, cereal CR, legume LG, animal protein AP, fruits and vegetable FV, fats and oil showed that they are price inelastic. The results of income elasticity show that AP consumption is the most sensitive to income changes, while fats and oil is the least sensitive to income changes. Factors that positively and significantly affected demand for LG, FV, AP, CR and RT were household size HSZ, level of education, primary occupation, access to credit, presence of children 6 years mainly at P