Why Youths find it Difficult to Practice Commercial Fish Farm Enterprise in Abia State, South-East Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated why youths find it difficult to practice commercial fish farm enterprise in Abia State, South-East Nigeria. Random method was used to choose Abia State and 6 council areas out of 17 while 60 youths were purposively selected from each of the council areas for the study. From the sample size of 360 youths, 170 were randomly picked as respondents and administered semi structured interview schedule through face to face interview to generate data which was analysed with descriptive and factor analysis. Age, education and association gave youth’s competitive advantage to engage in profitable fish farming enterprise with little motivation. While the youths are not alien to fish farming, only small proportion practices fish farming. Observed difficulties are combination of factors that cut across infrastructure, production, capacity building, management and climate change. Leading factors identified by youths are lack of irregular power supply, lack of capital, lack of training, lack of mobility and climate change. As such, efforts should focus on skill development, financial empowerment, promotion and infrastructural development. Hence, collaborative effort of youths with government, agricultural extension agency, fisheries institutions, and private practitioners are required to overcome the difficulties.