Analysis of the Determinants of Fresh Fish Marketing and Profitability among Captured Fish Traders in South-South Nigeria: The Case of Akwa Ibom State

Abstract

The study analyzed the determinants of fish marketing and profitability in four selected markets in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Primary data collected through a multi stage random sampling of eighty (80) fish traders were analyzed using descriptive statistics, profitability ratios, Gross and marketing margins as well as Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression. Result showed the dominance of married (75%), female marketers (70%) with high level of education. The result further showed that N 145.83 and N147.00 accrued to wholesalers and retailers as net income per kilogram of fish sold, representing 28.10% and 25.7% of the total marketing margins, with marketing efficiency of 674.14% and 787.78% respectively. This, together with the profitability Index (PI) of 0.24 and 0.23 and Operating ratio (OR) of 0.76 and 0.77 for wholesalers and retailers further lend credence to the profitability of fish marketing in the study area. Among the factors which impacted significantly on fish trader’s profit were marketing experience, access to credit, storage cost, transportation cost, fish buying prices and age of marketers. Also, high transport cost, inadequate storage facilities,