Prospects of Oil Palm Wine and Raphia Palm Wine in South East, Nigeria

The study which compared the potentials of oil palm wine (OPW) and raphia palm wine (RPW) in South East, Nigeria was informed by the vast nutritional and economic values of the products, their potentials for poverty alleviation and dearth of information on the economics of marketing of the products in the area. The study specifically described the different ways in which oil palm wine and raphia palm wine can be utilized and also identified the differences and similarities in the utilization of both wines. The study population comprised all the oil palm wine and raphia palm wine consumers in South East, Nigeria. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select 150 respondents for the study. Primary data used for the study were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Palm wine has best potentials for use in refreshment, followed by ceremonies, traditional medicine, as raw materials, libation, lactation, and least weaning. Innovations such as use of hybrid plants, accurate plant spacing, new and efficient ways of tapping by associated Research Institutes in the country will help boost production. Keywords: Oil palm wine, Prospects, Raphia palm wine DOI : 10.7176/JNSR/9-4-04