Analysis of Fish Market Chain: The Case of Abobo District, Agnwua Zone, Gambella, Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in Abobo district, Agnwua zone in Gambella, Ethiopia. The study aim at analysis of fish market chain. Despite some study were carried out in different regions of the country which provided empirical evidence for the improvement of the fish market chain, no study was undertaken in the study area. As a result, there is strong need to study market chain in the study area. Therefore multistage samplings were used to select district from the zone, producer and traders. Thus primary were collected from randomly selected 124 producer using semi structure interviews. Then 30 fish trader were selected purposively. Thus, Primary data were collected by using semi structure interviews, key informant, focus group discussion and field observation for both fish producer and trader. Descriptive statistics were used to characterizing fish producer, traders, market performance. Econometric model were used to identify factors determining fish supply. Fish producer are confronted with seasonality and weather, lack motorized boat, lack of government support, fishing net theft and crocodile attack problem. While in marketing, price fluctuation, lack of market information, lack of transport, poor linkage with traders, perishability and lack of proper storage facility are the major problems. MLR result confirmed that, family size, distance to market, access to off farm are the factors determining quantity of fish marketed and exceptional to total quantity of fish produced other variable affected negative. The top four fish traders controlled 66.49% of fish trading. Therefore fish markets are strong oligopoly market. Thus, market performances are inefficient in channels IV and V. Thus, wholesalers marketing margin share is highest while producer is lowest from TGMM. To enhance the ability of fish producer to produce market structure government has develop cooperative to enhance the bargain power it believed to be way to improve it structure. Based on finding the following recommendations are forwarded. Therefore, government, and stakeholder has to play crucial role in addressing problem determining quantity fresh fish marketed and to enhance quantity of fish supply to market by fish producer.

Keywords: Fisheries, Abobo, Market performance, multiple linear regression.

DOI: 10.7176/DCS/10-1-04

Publication date: January 31^st 2020