FINANCIAL AND MARKETING STRATEGIES ANALYSIS OF FISH FARMING PRACTICES IN UTTAR PRADESH Gaurav Tomer 1 , H. L. Singh 2 *, A. K. Prusty 3 , Bonika Pant 4 and D. V. Singh 2 1 CSA University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur - 208 002, India. 2 SVP University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut - 250 110, India. 3 ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming System Research, Meerut - 250 110, India. 4 Krishi Vigyan Kendra, G. B. Nagar, India. Corresponding author - H. L. Singh, *e-mail : hlsingh123@gmail.com (Received 22 October 2023, Revised 18 December 2023, Accepted 23 December 2023) ABSTRACT : Present study is related to financial analyse and marketing of fish in Meerut District of Uttar Pradesh, to analyse the budgetary, marketing channels and price spread. Sixty respondents were selected purposively for present investigation and the average size of pond was 1.40 hectare. The cost and return analysis indicated that farmers incurred overall average cost of Rs. 98966.82 and decreases with increase of pond size, the realized overall net profit was Rs. 140666.05 per hectare. The fish farming enterprise was found to be economically profitable and advantageous with benefit cost ratio (BCR) of 2.42. The producer’s share in consumer rupee estimated and varies from 74.00 percent to 96.15 percent. Findings of the study recommends higher possibilities of integrated fish farming in the area. Key words : Fish farming practices, tabular analysis, price spread, BCR. How to cite : Gaurav Tomer, H. L. Singh, A. K. Prusty and Bonika Pant (2024) Financial and marketing strategies analysis of fish farming practices in Uttar Pradesh. J. Exp. Zool. India 27, 000-000. DOI: https://doi.org/10.59467/jez.2024.27.000 J. Exp. Zool. India Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 000-000, 2024 ISSN 0972-0030 DocID: https://connectjournals.com/03895.2024.27.000 eISSN 0976-1780 DOI: https://doi.org/10.59467/jez.2024.27.000 INTRODUCTION Fish farming plays a significant role in addressing various global challenges and has several important advantages and contributions. Fish farming contributes to global food security by providing a consistent and reliable source of protein for a growing world population with high-quality source of protein and essential nutrients, making it a crucial component of diets worldwide. Besides that it is an important source of income, creates employment opportunities, particularly in rural and coastal areas and supports livelihoods for millions of people involved in various aspects of the industry, from fish production to processing and marketing. According to FAO, inland aquaculture produced 51.3 million tones accounting for 62.5 percent of the world’s farmed food fish production. This refers to aquaculture produced either from inland natural water sources, such as rivers and lakes and fish farms. Fisheries sector occupies a very vital place in the socio-economic development of the country. Fish culture received notable attention in the state of Tamil Nadu as early as 1911 and subsequently, states such as West Bengal, Punjab, Gujarat, Tami Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh initiated fish culture through the establishment of Fisheries Departments and support to fishers and farmers for expansion of the sector. In Uttar Pradesh fish production comes only from inland fisheries. Total fish production of Uttar Pradesh increased from 392.93 thousand metric tonnes in 2009- 10 to 632.22 thousand metric tonnes in 2017-18. Due to the presence of a large number of ponds are located in district selected and the nearby Markets located in the National Capital Delhi and State Uttarakhand, the farmers attracted towards fish farming because of good market infrastructure nearby centre of production. Despite its numerous advantages, fish farming also faces challenges, including environmental concerns related to water use, disease management and potential negative impacts on local ecosystems. To maximize the benefits of fish farming, it is essential to promote sustainable practices, adhere to responsible regulations and invest in ongoing research and innovation. Hence, it is imperative to look into economics of fish farming practices on commercial scale. The study also investigates marketing channels, price spread and marketing efficiency of fish farming practices.