Structure, Conduct and Performance of Timber Market in Ife East Local Government of Osun State, Nigeria

The study focused on the structure, conduct and performance of timber market in Ife-east Local Governments of Oyo state. The major objective of this study is to assess the marketing pattern of timber in the study areas. The research method used for achieving the general objectives involved Descriptive Statistics and Gini Coefficient. Variations were observed in the price of the timber of the same species but different size because price determination is based on bargaining power. The result showed majority of respondents (58.8%) had secondary education, Muslim was dominant (54.6%) in the timber marketing and majority of marketers had regular supply of their product. . Government policy, high cost of transportation, inadequate credit facilities and high cost of energy and power were some of the constraints faced by timber marketers in the study area. The use of modern equipment and machines are needed to replace the outdated equipment in order to increase the output and profit. The level of access to credit facilities should be improved upon by encouraging the respondent to form cooperative societies so that they can mobilize enough working capital for their business.