POST-HARVEST PROCESSING DELAYS, REPORTED CONSTRAINTS AND PERCEIVED QUALITY EFFECTS AMONG OIL-PALM FRESH FRUIT BUNCH FARMERS AND PROCESSORS IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

This study investigated post-harvest processing delays, reported constraints, and perceived quality and economic consequences among oil-palm fresh fruit bunch (FFB) farmers and processors in Ondo State, Nigeria. A three-stage sampling procedure, combining purposive selection of four local government areas (Akure North, Akure South, Ifedore and Owo) with a snowball technique for respondent recruitment, yielded a cross-sectional sample of 100 farmers and processors (25 per LGA; mean age 49.6 ± 7.3 years; 65% male). Processing delays were most concentrated at three days (54%) and five days (45%) after harvest, with virtually no same-day or one-day processing reported. Limited processing facilities were the most frequently reported constraint (83%), followed by inadequate labour (38%). However, in exploratory bivariate analysis with Benjamini–Hochberg correction for multiple comparisons, only inadequate labour was significantly associated with the longer, five-day delay category (odds ratio [OR] 3.35, 95% CI 1.44–7.78; q = 0.041). This association strengthened after adjusting for LGA in a parsimonious logistic regression model (adjusted OR 4.21, 95% CI 1.69–10.53; p = 0.002). Five-day delay did not differ significantly across LGAs (χ² = 1.09), indicating a structural rather than localised problem. Respondents overwhelmingly perceived delayed processing as increasing free fatty acid (FFA) content (92%), altering oil colour (95%) and odour (87%), and reducing income through lower buying prices (91%) or outright rejection (7%). These findings reflect farmer and processor perceptions rather than laboratory-verified quality or transaction data. Farmers and processors most requested more processing facilities (67%) and training in post-harvest handling (22%). These patterns are consistent with a widespread structural constraint in which labour availability, rather than geography, is specifically associated with the longest delays. The study recommends targeted investment in accessible processing facilities and labour-focused post-harvest support, alongside further studies incorporating laboratory-based quality assessment.