Cost- benefit analysis of marketing Bonga Fish (<i>Ethmalosa fimbriata</i>) in Ebonyi rural markets

Abstract

Comparative analysis of the costs and returns of selling differently processed Bonga Fish (Ethmalosa fimbriata) in different forms in Ebonyi rural markets was carried out with a population of 80 fish sellers from about 11 selected rural fish markets from each of the zones excluding the urban areas. The data were collected through well-structured questionnaire and interview schedule. Frequency and percentage were used to ascertain the different processed forms Bonga Fish were sold in the study area, whereas gross margin analysis was used to ascertain the different profit margins obtained from selling fish in different forms. The result showed that majority of the Bonga Fish marketers (42.50%) sold their Fishes in dried form, whereas, the least population (1.25%) sold theirs in fried form. The study showed that there was a significant difference in selling Bonga Fish at different forms as observed by the different profit margins of N457,020, N503,720, and N634,660 for iced, smoked, and dried Bonga respectively. Therefore, fish sellers should sell their Bonga fish in dried form since there is no refrigerator or source of electricity and as this is the most lucrative form of selling fish in the study area.