The study was carried out to assess the collection and marketing of bitter cola in Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo State Nigeria, with a general objective of determining the profitability and the constraints of bitter cola trade in the area. A total of one hundred and ten respondents were randomly selected from five rural communities. Data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire and personal interview. Most of the collectors were males. Net profit of N200,157.00k (about 930K euros) was recorded from sales of bitter cola by the respondents. The amount of cola collected per year was positively related to marital status, age, distance and cost of bitter cola; age and labour costs were also significant predictors. Constraints encountered by collectors and marketers include rot and decay during storage (99%), poor storage facilities (97%), pest and diseases (88.2%) and labour costs (68.2%). Recommendations based on the findings include providing financial resources in form of loans, grants or incentives in order to boost bitter cola production, increase income and reduce poverty. Research in the area of domestication, plantation establishment, preservation and storage of the seeds need to be encouraged.

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The study was carried out to assess the socio-economic determinants of the quantity of Irvingia gabonensis (ogbono) harvested by rural dwellers in Sagbama Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State. A total of sixty respondents were randomly selected from twelve rural communities of the study area. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and personal interview. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression analysis and a willingness-to-accept compensation model were used in the assessment. The majority of the respondents were female (63%). Household size was a significant predictor in determining the quantity of Irvingia gabonensis harvested from the forest. Injuries from knife cuts while opening or picking the fruits, and attacks by wild animals, were the major problems encountered by harvesters. Policies should allow some access to sustainable harvested non-timber forest products, and harvesters should recognize the importance of controls on the levels of harvesting.

The study sought to verify the major socioeconomic determinants of farm income and rice productivity among rice farmers in the study area. A multi-stage stratified random sampling was used to select the respondents. Two major blocks of agricultural communities were delineated in the study area constituting of twelve (12) communities. Out of these, four (4) communities were randomly selected. Fifteen (15) rice farmers were then selected from each of them giving a sample size of sixty. Primary and secondary data were employed for this research. The primary data were collected using structured questionnaires. Multiple regression models with three functional forms were used to determine the production and income functions. Results showed that the influence of land and years of education on the farmers' rice output were statistically significant at 5% level. Test for multicollinearity ruled out interaction between years of formal education and extension contact. Generally, it was proved that education and other socioeconomic factors had significant effect on rice farmers' output as well as their incomes. Extension contact had no significant effect on the rice farmers' output in the study area. However, only two explanatory variables, labour and farming experience showed significant effects on farmers' incomes indicating high labour intensity among the farmers. Four recommendations, including the need for adult education plus improvement of the subsidy delivery system and mechanization; retraining of extension staff and development of rural infrastructure were made.