Author(s): K Omoruyi, KE Owolabi and AE Oghoje

Abstract: This study was carried out to analyze the processing and distribution of smoked fish in Warri-South and Sapele Local Government Areas of Delta State, Nigeria. A purposive sampling was used to select the two local government areas because of the presence of high fishing activities in the areas and random sampling method was also used to select two markets each in the both Local Government Areas. 80 smoked fish processors were surveyed for this study. The study was conducted with the aid of well - structured questionnaires which were administered to 80 processors only. The results showed that the smoked fish processors in both local government areas were dominated with women who were married with little or no formal education. It was further observed that majority of the fish processors were Christians with 4–6 children and sourced their finance from their personal savings from other business. The survey also revealed that the fish processors had been in business for more than 12 years, sourced their fish for smoking from either fishermen and women or cold rooms and used full metal oil drum to smoke dry fish with firewood as their major source of energy. It was also seen that they processed their fish at home during the day and had difficulty to control smoke and heat with insect infestation as the major storage problem. They packaged their fish in baskets, used public transport as their means of transportation and preserved their smoked fish by re-smoking them. Finally, the study revealed the existence of a thriving profitable small-scale traditional smoked fish processing and distribution business in the study areas.

Pages: 425-433  |  1392 Views  163 Downloads

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