ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIPS OF FACTORS AFFECTING RICE CONSUMPTION IN A TARGETED REGION IN EKITI – STATE, NIGERIA

In Nigeria today, there is the growing concern for food security, with particular focus on rice being a staple food. If effective policies must be made to impact rice production, it is important to appreciate the phenomena underlying the consumption in the first place. This study, therefore, examines the rice consumers in a rice producing region in Ekiti State Nigeria vis-à-vis the interrelated factors influencing consumption. Five hundred (500) respondents were randomly selected and interviewed in Eighteen (18) of the sixty nine (69) residential quarters that constitute the six (6) Local Government Areas (LGAs) which represent the study region. The study employed the Pearson’s Correlation test of the consumers variables. Findings discovered strong relationship between; (i) Sex of consumers, (ii) their level of education, (iii) income, (iv) household size, (v) the source of the local rice consumed, (vi) availability of the rice, (vii) how regularly if is consumed, (viii) the quality, (ix) price, and (x) the need to strengthen production at source. Suggestions for policy measures were offered based on research findings.