Marketing channel, cost, and margins of crayfish wholesalers and retailers in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Marketing channel, cost, and margins of crayfish in Rivers State, Nigeria was studied using a total eighty traders (thirty retailers and fifty  wholesalers) selected from six major crayfish markets using a multi-stage sampling technique, six local government areas were selected purposively based on the existing crayfish trading activities, from each LGAs a major crayfish market was selected. Primary and secondary sources of data were collected for the study. The selling prices at wholesale and retail levels of the marketing channel and cost incurred in marketing were used to address the objectives. The results of the study showed that the direction of flow of crayfish, three marketing channels were identified, although,  wholesalers get profit, they also incur more cost in marketing than retailers, the highest and lowest average selling price were recorded as N1834.43/kg and N1279.90/kg for crayfish traders, the consumers’ price percentage that was received by the crayfish farmers (harvesters) is 28.90%  and 16.69% of the net marketing margin on retail and wholesale respectively of the selling price, while both levels were inefficient in their marketing efficiency. The major challenges faced by crayfish traders in Rivers State were poor access to credit facilities, inadequate storage facilities and high market levy. Provision of government and private access to credit for traders, improved storage facilities and formulation and enactment of independent act for crayfish marketing were highly recommended.

Keywords: Marketing channel, crayfish, cost and margins