Science Journal of Agricultural Research and Management ISSN: 2276-8572 http://www.sjpub.org © Author(s) 2012. CC Attribution 3.0 License. Published By Science Journal Publication International Open Access Publisher Research Article Determinants of Income from Fish Marketing in Ibarapa Area of Oyo State, Nigeria Adeosun Olubunmi and Adebukola Folake Bankole Department of Fisheries Technology, Oyo State College of Agriculture, Igbo-ora E-mail: moriyike2006@yahoo.com, flakylee@yahoo.co.uk Volume 2012, Article ID sjarm-135, 6 Pages, 2012. doi: 10.7237/sjarm/135 Accepted 21 July, 2012 Abstract- This study was carried out to assess the market structure, the socio-economic characteristics of the fish marketers and determinants of revenue generated from fish marketing in Ibarapa towns using purposive sampling, which cut across age, and sex of fish sellers in dtw0 each location. Ninety-four percent of fish marketers were women and their men counterpart were 6.0% with an average sales of 5,123.00k per day. Double‐log model indicated a relationship between the determinant of fish revenue(Y) and some explanatory variables which include: average price of fish (X1), transportation cost (X2), average sales per day (X3) and duration of sales per day (X4) at p=0.01. The elasticity of all variables determining the revenue generated from fish are less than one. Thus a percentage increase in average price of fish and transportation cost lead to 0 .7404 and 0.3242 percentage increases in revenue generated from fish marketed per unit time respectively. Conversely, a percentage increase in duration of sales per day and average sales per day leads to -0. 2 0745 and -0.1549 percentage decrease in quantity of fish marketed per unit time in the study area. Keywords: Fish retailers, Revenue, Fish marketing, and Distribution channel Introduction Fish marketing may be broadly defined as all those functions involved from the point of catching of fish, to the point of final consumption. As the fish, like any other production moves closer and closer to the ultimate consumer, the selling price increases since the margins of the various intermediaries and functionaries are added to it. The pricing efficiency is concerned with improving the operation of buying, selling and other connected aspects of marketing process so that it will remain responsive to consumer direction. Several studies that examined the marketing system of fish and its implication for agricultural and economic development in Nigeria in general have employed the relationship between costs and selling prices of fish (Ali et al, 2008). Marketing and distribution channels are important characteristics in the process of getting produce from source to consumers. Olukosi and Isitor (1990) categorized marketing channels into centralized and decentralized channels. Centralized channels deals with agents who serve as middleman between producers an d consumers while decentralized is a kind of channel where both consumers and agents can buy, directly from the producers (Madugu and Edward, 2011). Fish distribution channel is common to most developing countries with series o f middlemen between producers and consumers (Moses, 1 992). Eyo (2001) stressed that processed fish is sold as smoked or dried without varieties as fish fingers, cakes and other ready to serve fish foods to stimulate wider interest in marketing, distribution and consumption. Fish supply and marketing suffer from various setbacks ranging from shortage of supply, price fluctuations due to drying up of source, poor distribution and length of chain, spoilage in transit etc. (Tomek and Robinson, 1981). Furthermore, due to the cumbersome nature of fish distribution channel, the local fish seller is faced with the problem of profit maximization. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to identify the determinants of fish revenue, fish distribution channels and to ascertain fish products forms available in the study area. Methodology The study was conducted in Ibarapa. Ibarapa region falls within latitude 7⁰ 15’N and 7⁰ 55’N and longitude 3⁰ 00’E. Ibarapa region comprises of three local governments namely Ibarapa east, Ibarapa North, and Ibarapa central. Ibarapa region is consists of seven famous towns which are Lanlate, Eruwa, Igboora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan. There are daily, evening, morning and periodic market in each of the town in Ibarapa region. Prominent amongst the market is 5- day Maya market, which is about d-2 7kilometre north of Lanlate. Maya market remains the major commercial poin 0ts of exchanges between the local farmers and traders xpnd-2 from various part of south western Nigeria. Also other prominent markets are Okolo in Eruwa, Ilado in Lanlate, Talabi in between Tapa and Igangan and Towobowo market in Igboora where traders from all towns and Ibarapa converged for trade transaction. Data Collection and Sampling Procedure The selection of respondents was carried out using purposive sampling, which cut across age and sex of fish sellers. The five major towns that were surveyed include: Igboora, Lanlate, Tapa, Ayete and Eruwa. One hundred questionnaires were administered to the respondents. Questions were asked based on the objectives of the study, data on general information i.e. demographic factors such as age, sex, educational level and years of experience. It also provides information on their sources of supply (distribution channel), the cost incurred on transportation of fish from sources of supply, variation in price of fish with respect to time they recorded nigh sales of fish and also the problems encountered by fish sellers. How to Cite this Article: Adeosun Olubunmi and Adebukola Folake Bankole, “Determinants of Income from Fish Marketing in Ibarapa Area of Oyo State, Nigeria” Science Journal of Agricultural Research & Management, Volume 2012, Article ID sjarm-135, 6 Pages, 2012. doi: 10.7237/sjarm/135