ABSTRACT
This study analysed the marketing system of artisanal fish in Kebbi State with the aim to determine characteristics of the market actors; structure, conduct and performance of the marketing system; profitability of fish processing enterprises and also the constraints associated with the marketing system. The data for the study were collected from both primary and secondary sources. Three types of structured questionnaires were used and primary data collected from fishermen, fish processors and traders. In addition, group interviews were carried out covering these three (fishermen, processors, traders) categories of respondents in the study area. A total of two hundred and twenty four respondents (224) from these categories were involved in this study. The analytical tools used include descriptive statistics (average, percentage, frequency tables,). Marketing margin and net return models were also used to determine market performance, while the profitability of different methods of fish processing were estimated using cost, return and profit functions. Value added and marketing efficiency along the fish marketing channels in the study area was also determined. Results show that market participants (fishermen, processors and trader) have similar socio-economic characteristics in terms of age, marital status, education, and affiliation to cooperative organizations. There is however, variation in gender of the participants, years of experience in the artisanal fish industry and forms of the product they handled. These observed similarities and variations in characteristics have influence on the roles and functions of actors in the marketing system of the commodity in the study area, thereby affecting the performance of the marketing system in both positive and negative ways. Although the marketing system of the commodity shows deviations from the perfectly competitive norm, it is however not an extreme case, that is; it is not completely uncompetitive, but it closely resembles oligopolistic market structure. Result shows that the profits in naira per basin of fresh fish processed are N 553.58 and N 539.47 for smoke drying enterprises using small and large mud processing kiln respectively. Also sun drying enterprises could make as much as N 308.90 per basin of fresh fish viii processed. Some fish smoking enterprises operates at a loss which ranges between N -24.58 and N -99.58 in rural and urban markets respectively. Some sun drying enterprises operates at a loss of up to N -49.14 per basin of fresh fish processed. Economies of scale, place of sale (urban or rural) and source of fresh fish are important profit determinants in the fish processing enterprises in the study area. Fresh fish maintained intermediate total value added (N 2000) and marketing efficiency of 325.68% along the urban market distribution chain. Although the marketing system of the fresh fish is more efficient than that of sun dried fish in both urban (215.21%) and rural (207.02%) markets; it was found to be less efficient than that of the smoke dried fish in both urban (752.94%) and rural (693.46%) distribution chains. This is not unconnected with the least value added in respect of the sun dried fish in urban (N 1510.00) and rural (N 1452.50) distribution chains as well as the highest value added to the smoke dried fish along the urban (N 2500) and rural (N 2302.50) distribution chains. The major constraints to marketing system of artisanal fish in Kebbi State are high post-harvest fish loss, inadequate and high cost of transportation, inadequate market information and dissemination facilities and low operating capital among market participants. Some of the recommendations from this study include establishment of adult education centers in fishing communities of the State to improve educational status of market actors; development and implementation of programmes by the State ADP to strengthen and empower cooperatives to improve information sharing and expand market outlets; The State ADP in collaboration with other NGO's should organize and implement a workshop to train and enlighten women processors on the importance of economies of scale in processing, and measurement of profitability of alternative processing enterprises in the State.