Consumption of Animal Protein in Adamawa State: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract: This study examined the consumption of animal protein in Adamawa State, specifically the consumption of meat, fish, milk and egg. The socio-economic characteristics, the income and expenditure distribution, the level of expenditure on major animal proteins as well as the variables influencing household consumption of major animal proteins were analyzed. One hundred and sixty "“ one households were randomly sampled from ten wards in the two Local Government Areas. Data were collected with structured questionnaires. The analytical tools include the arithmetic mean, percentages, income elasticity, marginal propensity to consume (MPC) and multiple Regression analysis. The results show that about 86% of the household heads were males, 94% were between 21 and 60 years, 81% were married. 78% were civil servants, 95% received education. Also, about 91% of the household had between 1 and 10 people in their domain, while income distribution indicated that about 86% of the household earned an average income of not more than N28, 000.00 per month. Fifty-two percent (52%) of the household expenditure was on carbohydrate, while 37% was spent on major animal protein products. The regression analysis indicated that education (at 5%), total household expenditure on food (at 1%), marital status of the household head (at 1%) and gender of the household head (at 1%) were the major determinants of household expenditure on the major animal protein products. The study recommends the reduction on income taxations, introduction of informal education and intensification of family planning education.