ANALYSIS OF CONSTRAINTS TO AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN SUDANO-SAHELIAN REGION OF NIGERIA

Abstract

<p>The study was carried out to examine constraints to fish farming in Sudano-sahelian region of Nigeria. Data was<em> </em>collected using trained enumerators from all known and accessible fish farms in Katsina state. The findings of the research revealed that majority of the farmers (88.6%) were male, they are all married, and larger proportion (45.7%) is between 50 and 59 years of age, with 31.7% having postgraduate education, but majority of them (62.9%) are less than 5 years in the business. Analysis of constraints showed that disease infestation (51.5%), water quality (54.4%), Technical expertise (71.4%), high cost of feeding (94.3%), feed quality (57.1%), market availability (60%), inadequate capital (88.6%), and fish seed (62.9%) are constraints to aquaculture development in the region. Among the listed constraints, disease infestation, high cost of feeding, technical expertise and inadequate capital are more important because they exist at a severe level, while high cost of feed and inadequate were ranked as major constraints. Therefore for any meaningful development of aquaculture industry in the region, these constraints must be resolved.</p><p>Â </p>