Fresh fish ( Clarias gariepinus ) marketing system in major towns of Ibarapa zone, Oyo State, Nigeria
This study was carried out to investigate marketing system, market channel, nature of costs, market margins and the factors determining the marketing profit of fresh fish ( Clarias gariepinus ) in major towns in Ibarapa Zone, Oyo state. Data were collected through the use of questionnaire administered to the fish traders. Purposive and simple random sampling procedures were adopted in the study. The data were analyzed by descriptive method which involves percentages, frequency distributions, market margin and regression. The study showed that women (85%) formed the highest number of fish traders in Ibarapa zone, women of age 30 years and above formed the bulk of the fish traders (70%), seventy (70%) were married, and ninety- five (95%) of the respondents were educated and their source of capital investment was through personal saving. The fish traders recorded high sale in the evening and determined their market price by size. All fish traded internally moved through the processors, no intermediary was involved in dealing with fish distribution and marketing system. A great amount of profit was made by all the processors in the market. The marketing margin was 24.24 % and marketing efficiency was 22.46%. It was recommended that government should create a more enabling environment for more people to go into aquaculture so as to beat the seasonality of fresh fish supply in the towns.