Marketing Margins and Efficiencies of Smoked Fish in Kainji Lake Basin, Nigeria

The study analyzed the marketing margins and efficiencies of smoked fish in Kainji Lake Basin Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the socio-economic characteristics of smoked fish marketers, estimated the cost and returns, profit margins and efficiency of smoked fish marketing, evaluated the effects of socio-economic and institutional determinants of net-income of smoked fish marketers and examined the challenges of smoked fish marketers. A 2-stage sampling procedure was used to select 60 wholesale marketers of smoked catfish from a population of 107 catfish marketers. Primary data were collected with the aid of questionnaires administered through interview schedule. Data were presented with descriptive statistics such as percentages and 4-point Likert rating scale. Also, net marketing margin, net profit margin, marketing efficiencies and two-stage least square regression analysis were used to analyze data. Results showed that majority (55 %) of the fish marketers were men with a mean age of 40 years while 36.67 % had experience of 11-15 years. Marketing of smoked catfish is profitable with a net profit margin of 3.49 % and marketing efficiency of 189.79 %. Also, the significant socio-economic and institutional determinants of net-income were age, years of experience and levy while the major challenges of fish marketing were poor pricing (𝑥̅=3.88), high cost of transportation (𝑥̅=3.28) and access to capital (𝑥̅=2.80). It is based on these findings the study recommends that there should be effective price regulations by market unions to stabilize prices of fish in major market centers.