Abstract

The study aimed at determining strategies that could be utilized to reduce the concerns of consumers on the processed agricultural products through technology in order to make technological innovation effective and economically rewarding. Two research questions were developed and answered by the study using cross sectional survey research design. The sample for the study was 317 consisting of 116 registered women melon processors, 102 marketers and 98 extension agents. A 24-item well structured questionnaire was developed and used for data collection. The data collected were analyzed using principal component analysis with varimax rotation and factor loading of 0.40. The results showed that the flavour of melon seeds processed mechanically could be enhanced in Southeastern Nigeria through mechanical, maintenance and hygienic factors while that of  neatness of melon seeds processed mechanically could be enhanced through hygiene, biological and handling/distributive factors. It was therefore recommended that Agricultural Extension Agents should utilized the identified skills with their corresponding factor loading in melon processing to make women melon processors improve in their processing methods among others.

Key words: Agribusiness concerns, large scale processing, marketing, melon, Southeastern Nigeria.