Conclusion
The study focused on the Marketing and Distribution
Pattern of palm oil in Imo State, Nigeria. The findings
showed that minimized objective of the overall
transportation cost of shipping the commodity to the
recommended routes was only ₦473,458 against
₦576,628 actual total transportation cost. The pattern of
palm oil shipment that minimized total cost of
transportation recommended by the programme were
Orlu-Lagos, Owerri-Abuja and Owerri-Lagos. The result
agreed with findings of Ogunfowora and Fetuga (1975)
and Aneke (1977) who found that computerized
programmes produced minimized cost and that when
analysed economically are better in terms of economic
returns than the conventional programmes. The research
therefore concluded that it is more advisable for palm oil
distributors and would-be marketers in the study area to
adopt these routes when moving their commodity from
the origins to the destinations with a view to make more
profit and to be more economically efficient in their
distribution pattern. On the basis of the findings, the study
therefore suggested that government should provide a
conducive environment for the distribution of commodities
across the regions by developing the transportation
systems such as rail to enhance movement at lower cost.