Information needs of fish-feed entrepreneurs in Kainji Lake Basin Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined information needs of fish-feed entrepreneurs in the Kainji Lake Basin, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select twenty-nine respondents for the study. Semi-structured interview schedule was employed for data collection. Data were  analysed using percentages, mean, standard deviation and cost analyses function. The study revealed that 41.4% of the respondents were within the age bracket 40-44 years with mean age of 41 years. The majority (93.1%) of the respondents were married with 48.2% of the respondents having educational qualification beyond secondary level. The challenges of operating fish-feed enterprise in the area were high cost of fish meal ( x̄ =3.76, SD= 0.51), lack of access to credit ( x̄ =3.48, SD= 0.74) and lofty cost of operating milling machine ( x̄=2.93, SD= 3.70). The profitability analysis for investing in fish-feed enterprise revealed that the gross margin per unit fish-feed was ₦49.85. The respondents require information from extension on access to credit facility and training on cost effective fish-feed formulation. Linkage with credit sources and training skill on fish-feed formulation should be incorporated into fisheries training to ensure effective extension delivery system.

Keywords: Extension needs, fish-feed information need, Kainji lake basin