If rice is grown in paddies, it may be possible to rear • fish in the rice paddies. This requires preparing the paddy a little differently than usual but can lead to an extra crop (fish) without reducing rice production. Consult your extension officer for advice on how to do this. • Plan daily work activities so you accomplish as many tasks as possible on each trip. Try not to make any trip “empty handed.” • Whenever possible, plan trips to the market or farm supply shop (e.g., for fertilizers or feeds) so purchasing and delivery of supplies for all enterprises is done in a single trip, rather than making several trips. • Be creative in trying to find ways in which fish culture and your other farm enterprises can complement each other to help the farm reach top efficiency and a greater profit. Figure 1.2-3. Chicken houses placed over ponds provide manure directly to ponds to reduce the cost of adding fertilizers. Moving on The integration of fish farming activities into your overall farm operation is an important consideration to look into prior to investing money and building ponds. Another critical consideration is how the fish will be marketed once they have been harvested. Some principles and tips regarding marketing are discussed in the next section. Marketing Your Fish Introduction Currently most fish produced in subsistence operations (usually less than 50 kg per harvest) are sold at the pond site. This way farm families satisfy their needs and sell excess to neighbours. For harvests larger than 50 kg, for example in semi-intensive settings, arrangements can be made with a buyer. Harvesting should be done regularly to satisfy the customer’s needs, even if the amount they buy monthly or weekly is very little. This is called a “niche market,” i.e., a market where the seller is assured of a small but regular outlet for their produce. You may also sell fish to restaurants or institutions such as schools or hospitals. It is advisable that small-scale producers form marketing groups, which will assure them a regular market. Marketing studies Before beginning a fish farming enterprise, a farmer should conduct a market study to help determine: • The type and size of fish preferred by consumers (fingerlings, whole-fish, fillets, etc.) • The quantity of fish required by the market. • The best time to market fish. • Which other farmers are supplying fish. • The prices at which fish are being sold. Farmers must bear in mind that the focus of all marketing activities is to satisfy the consumer. • Every time a consumer buys fresh fish, whether in large or small quantities, what they are telling you is that you should continue to grow and sell fresh fish. In the case of fish traders, consumers are passing a signal back to the farmer telling them “produce more because I am ready to buy your product.” • If the consumer stops buying, the trader will also slow down on purchase of your fish. If this happens, they could be passing on information about the price of your product, the form of your product (fresh, frozen, or otherwise), or the quality of your product. • A marketing system enticing consumers or traders to buy more fish from you is best. What do consumers want? • A marketing system that provides high-quality fish on demand at the lowest cost. • Efficiency in the delivery of services. • Reliability or assurance that the product will be there when needed. Some basic marketing principles • The efficient transfer of fish and fish products from the fish farmer to the consumer is vital in any fish marketing system. • Fish is a perishable commodity and must be transported to the market quickly to avoid spoilage. If the market is not readily accessible, the product should be processed promptly before it loses quality. ww Transportation and storage costs, which are directly related to physical handling of fish products, must be considered. ww Storage of perishable commodities such as fish is more expensive than storage of nonperishables because of the cost of refrigeration. Some tips for marketing your fish • When fish are ready for sale, harvest and send them to the market immediately. • You can increase the value of your product by doing some basic processing, either of the whole fish or of parts of the fish. Some possibilities include: ww Deep fry the whole fish, starting with the smaller fish. This will prolong the shelf life of the product. ww Cut the fish into several pieces, such as head, chest, tails, or fillets, then deep fry and sell them by the piece. • When taking fish to the market, check prices and sell as quickly as possible. There are risks in holding fish for a long time waiting for the best price: ww Time lag in the sale of products is a cost to the fish farmer. It will be less expensive to sell your fish at relatively lower prices than to store them for sale the next day. ww Fish held for too long may spoil, becoming smelly or even unsafe, discouraging potential customers, and giving you a bad reputation. It will be difficult to overcome any negative
