UNDERSTANDING THE DETERMINANT OF INCOME FROM CATFISH PRODUCTION IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA

Fish production is significant to Nigeria’s aggregate economy. In Imo State in particular, it contributes to employment, income generation and bridging protein demand-supply gap. Despite all these, empirical studies that logically explain the determinant of income from catfish production are still relatively scanty. These creates a vacuum in research and knowledge there by making it extremely difficult if not impossible for the government and other relevant stakeholders to know the method they can use in helping farmers realize huge income from catfish production as well as prospective farmers to venture into catfish farming. It was against this backdrop that the study was systematically undertaken. Data were elicited from 90 catfish farmers’ selected using multistage and purposive sampling procedure across Imo State, Nigeria. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical tool, gross income and multiple regression analysis. Result show that the mean age was 45.00 years. Greater proportions (71.11%) were male. Majority (78.88%) were married with an average household size of 7 persons. The mean educational level and farming experience were 12 and 15.00 years respectively. Reasonable proportions (68.89%) have no access to credit. Average annual farm income was ₦650,000.00 ($1,570.64). Majority (45.56$7,371.65) and N15.41k respectively. The profitability index was N15.30, which implies that for every naira earned as revenue from the catfish farming, about 15.30kobo returned to farmer as net farm income. Estimated regression results shows that pond size (X1); cost of fish feed (X2); cost of labour (X3); stocking rate (X6); Educational Level (X9); Farm Income (X10) and Catfish Experience (X11) were the major determinant of income in catfish production. Findings provided evidence that catfish production is efficient and lucrative in the area. However, approximately 97.78% and 94.44% of the farmers complained of inadequate production capital and high cost of feed. It was therefore recommended that farmers particularly on their own should judiciously pool productive resources together through strengthened cooperative society group as this would enhance bulk purchase/buying of catfish production input in the area. Moreover, effective agricultural policies and programmes should focus on granting catfish farmers improved access to farm credit as these would enable them increase their production frontier and realize huge profit overtime in the area

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