Optimizing catfish marketing in forest communities of Ido municipality: The impact of seasonality, storage and pricing on performance

Abstract

The challenges encountered by catfish marketers due to the seasonality of catfish production in most rural areas have masterminded difficulty in the free distribution of product to consumers, which invariably hampers their income. Therefore, the study examined catfish marketing in Oyo State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was adopted to select sampled respondents. First, 5 wards were selected purposefully out of 10 wards in the study area. Next, a total of 10 markets were randomly selected evenly from each ward. Finally, 120 marketers were selected from each of the sampled markets. A questionnaire was adopted for datacollection on the demographic characteristics of respondents, marketing channels available, gross margin estimation of catfish marketing, factors influencing of catfish marketing, and constraints on catfish marketing. Data was analyzed using frequencies and percentages, mean
scores, gross margin, linear regression, and benefit-cost ratio (BCR). Key findings indicate that 74% of respondents earn between ₦200,000 and ₦400,000 ($476 - $952) monthly, with a gross margin of 64.4%, meaning marketers retain $0.644 for every dollar of revenue. The analysis showed that 58% of variations in catfish marketing could be explained by the identified influencing factors. The benefit-cost ratio (BCR) was found to be 1.41:1, indicating a positive return on investment, with marketers retaining approximately ₦1,453,056 from their activities. However, constraints such as seasonality, high transportation costs, and inadequate cold storage facilities were significant hurdles. Therefore, establishment of commodity markets in rural areas to enhance connections between fish farmers and buyers, promoting partnerships among stakeholders, and providing training on product quality and storage were recommended. These measures aim to improve the efficiency and profitability of catfish marketing.