Continental J.

Fisheries and Aquatic Science 4: 23 - 29, 2010

© Wilolud Journals, 2010.

CATFISH REARING IN FIVE COMMUNITIES IN RIVERS STATE: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECT

Ironkwe M.O and Jamabo N.

Department of Animal Science and Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Port Harcourt, P.M.B 5323,
Choba, Port Harcourt.

ABSTRACT
The study was conducted in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The investigation was carried out to ascertain the problems and prospects associated with
catfish rearing in the area. Fifty (50) respondents were selected through stratified random
sample technique. Information was elicited on demographic features, production scale.
Type of pond used, constraints, source of fund, and marketing with the aid of structured
questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and gross margin analysis were used to analyze data.
The result revealed that 92% of the respondents were facing challenges ranging from little
of no fund, high cost of feed to lack of land space for expansion. The result also showed
that 90% of the fish rearers were married; fifty –four percent of the catfish producers were
mainly civil servants who did it as part time business. The age of people involved was in
the age range of 26-60 years. Two percent (2%) of the rearers hold first degree certificate.
Fish was marketed in fresh form either between the producer and the consumer or through
the middle men and the consumer. Profit margin of #1,320,000 for the fish rearers within
the first year period was recorded. It was recommended that catfish producers should form
co-operative groups to enable them obtain loans from micro-finance houses with little or
no interest to carry out their production activities. The producers should also be
enlightened on the use of locally produced feeds as their fingerlings were procured within
their local environment. Enlightenment lectures should be organized for the producers
through workshops, seminars and conferences.

KEYWORDS: Catfish rearing, problems, prospects, gross margin, net income, and
marketing.

INTRODUCTION
In Nigeria, fish is one of most important sources of animal protein, constituting up to 40% of the total animal
protein intake (Afolabi, et al, 1984), (Basorum and Olakulehin, 2007). The wide acceptability of fish by all
asundry has made it an important aspect of human nutrition. It has little or no taboo attached to its production
and consumption as is not the case with some livestocks. Fish is highly nutritious and in addition serves as a
source of income and employment to many Nigerians that produce them (Mai- Musa, 1996, Eyo, 2001 and
Abiedun, et al, 2004). The demand for this essential commodity has been above the supply level. This has been
because of the Economy dependence on the supplies from coastal riverine and lakeside communities
(FAO.1991). Fish production in the study area has mainly been artisan, characterized by simple gear, floating
gourds, trap nets, labour intensive, low capital investment and low productivity. (Mabawonku, 1981). It has
made Nigeria to rely on fish importation, using the scarce foreign exchange in importing frozen or canned fish
to supplement the deficit (Sule, et al, 2001). The problems of marketing the available fish also accounted for the
deficit in supply of fish in Nigeria with its attendant problem. F.A.O (2001) reported a fish demand gap of
31.4% in Nigeria ranging from 2.035 and 1.396 million tones demand and supply respectively. This demand
gap has somehow been reduced by the introduction of catfish rearing in ponds and aquaculture, Eyo, (1997).
Catfish rearing and aquaculture involves constructing ponds, reservoirs, lakes and dams in which fish is reared
for consumption (Olarinde, 2005).

The catfish rearing surveyed were reared in ‘’rearing ponds” either earthen or concrete. They were generally
constructed in rectangular shapes. They had different dimensions between 0.50-1 hect. With water level of 0.75-
1.25. The physio-chemical features for earthen pond was loamy or clay – loamy soil with PH 6.5-7.5 while the
pond water had PH 7.0-8.0. Feeding in these ponds was preferably done in the morning hours according to their
capacities. Catfish rearing and aquaculture as good as it is in bridging the widening gap between demand and
supply for fish is also bedeviled by a lot of challenges. The challenges noticed were in the area of lack of
governmental policy of fish production, high cost of quality feed, scarcity of land due to the land tenure system
which hinders expansion of pond projects. These challenges affect fish rearing from ponds and aquaculture in
several ways due the

23
 Ironkwe M.O and Jamabo N: Continental J. Fisheries and Aquatic Science 4: 23 - 29, 2010

financial and economic implications. Over time, many catfish rearers may be forced out of business due to these
highlighted problems (Olarinde, 2005). The locally made feed available in the country is not well-fortified with
crude protein. Thus, this paper tried to analyze the constraints of catfish rearing and immeasurable prospects
that will accrue from this important business in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State, if
the constraints are properly addressed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was conducted in Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State. The area is located in
Southern part of Nigeria. It lies between latitude 60-80 south and longitude 60-90 west and situate in Southern
boundary of the humid zone. The mean annual rainfall is 5,300mm. The average daily temperature during the
wet season is about 260 with relative humidity of 96%. Five communities were purposively selected; they
include Oroworukwo, Diobu, Rumueme, Rumubiakani and Rumukrusi. A total of fifty respondents were
selected with stratified random sampling techniques. Structured questionnaire were administered to ten catfish
rearers from each of the five communities. Data on age, marital status, occupation, years of experience,
educational status, type of pond, source of fund, type of feed used, and annual income realized were analyzed.
Descriptive statistics, gross margin, net income analysis were also used to analyze the profitability. The
incidence of cost was based on the following profitability indicators were calculated.

GM = GR – TVC

Where
GM = Gross Margin (This is the difference between the cost of production and
the revenue generated)

GR = Gross revenue (Total revenue generated from quantity

reared multiplied by the selling price per kg.

i. Net farm income (NFI) = Total value of product (TV) minus total fixed cost (TFC) minus total
variable cost (TVC).
 NFI 
ii. Rate of return to investment (RRTI) = (   X 100% .
 TCP 
iii. Return on fixed cost of production (RFC) or Gross Margin (GM) = Total value of production
(TVP) minus total variable cost (TVC).
 RFC 
iv. Rate of return on fixed cost (RRFC) =   X 100%
 TFC 
 TVP − TFC 
v. Rate of return on variable cost   X 100%
 TVC 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The demographic features of the respondents such as age, marital status, occupation, years of experience in
catfish rearing, educational status were presented in Table 1.

Table 1 shows the age distribution of the respondents ranging between (26-60) years with majority (90%)
belonging to the active population group. The physical activities involved in flushing out water from the ponds
and feeding the fishes require strong and energetic individuals. It has also been discovered by researchers that
the working class people within the age group of 26-60 years are involved because it offers them extra source of
income. This finding is in conformity with the assertion of Bellow and Bar (2004) who reported that 26-60
years old farmers provide labour force in fishing business in Benjul, Senegal. Ninety percent (90%) of the
respondents were married and only ten percent (10%) were single. This is in line with the fact that they need
extra income to improve the living standard of their families. Fifty-four percent (54%) were civil servants
twenty-two percent (22%) were involved in other farming activities while twenty-four percent (24%) were
traders.

24
 Ironkwe M.O and Jamabo N: Continental J. Fisheries and Aquatic Science 4: 23 - 29, 2010

Table 1 also shows the number of year’s experience of the catfish rearers in the area. Sixty percent (60%) of the
respondents had 1-5 years experience, followed by those between 6-10 years (36%), and those with 11 years
and above (4%). Respondents with highest years of experience are expected to be better rearers with higher
profit margin because of the number of years in the enterprise.

Primary school leavers were twenty percent (20%), those that had secondary school education were thirty
percent (30%), tertiary institution graduates were forty percent (40%) and only about ten percent (10%) did not
have formal education. The level of education of the respondents confirms why the business was mainly carried
out by civil servants.

Table 1: Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents

Characteristics Frequency Percentages
Age
26-35 38 31.6
36-45 36 30
46-55 35 29.2
56-60 11 9.2
Total 120 100

Marital status
Married 45 90
Single 5 10
Total 50 100

Occupation
Civil servants 27 54
Farmers 11 22
Traders 12 24
Total 50 100

Experience
1-5 30 60
6-10 18 36
11 and above 2 4

Education
Primary 10 20
Secondary 15 30
University graduates 20 40
No formal education 5 10
Total 50 100

Table 2: Shows the non demographic features of the catfish rearing. These include type of ponds used in rearing
the fish, source of funds for operations, type of feed used, major constraints and annual income realized. The
result on table 2 revealed that there were two types of ponds used by the respondents to keep catfish in the study
area. Majority of them 70% kept the fishes in concrete ponds while only about thirty percent (30%) kept in
earthen pond. The concrete is perhaps preferred due to ease of management and restricted area available for
operations.

25
 Ironkwe M.O and Jamabo N: Continental J. Fisheries and Aquatic Science 4: 23 - 29, 2010

Table 2, shows that the major source of fund for the respondents is from personal sponsorship. This represents
80%, twelve percent (12%) comes from their co-operative groups while only about four percent (4%) sourced
from micro-finance houses. This type of funding does not give enough room for the rearers to expand their
businesses.

Accordingly, the respondents confessed that two sources of feeds are available to the rearers. Majority of them,
sixty-six percent (66%) used the foreign feed which appears to be more expensive, thereby increasing their total
production costs. About thirty-four percent (34%) used the locally made feed. The later is less fortified with
crude protein, this makes the fishes not to come to table size within the stipulated four to six months. The major
constraints encountered by the rearers include high cost of feed. Fifty-two percent (52%) of the respondents
expressed challenges in the pricing of quality feeds. Twenty percent (20%) of them do not have enough funds to
purchase land in order to expand their catfish rearing business. Lack of fund for operations, thirty-four percent
(34%) expressed the problem of no fund syndrome to carry out their operations.

Table 2: Non-Demographic Characteristics of Catfish Rearing

Characteristics Frequency Percentages
Types of ponds
Concrete 35 70
Earthen 15 30
Total 50 100

Source of Fund
Personal funding 40 80
Co-operative 6 12
Micro-finance bank 4 8
Total 50 100

Types of Feed
Foreign feed 33 66
Locally compounded 17 34
Total 50 100

Major Constraints
High cost of feed 26 52
Unavailability of land space 10 20
Lack of fund 14 28
Total 50 100

Table 3: (i) Annual Production Costs and Return to Catfish rearing

Item Unit cost Amount % Total cost
A. Fixed Costs
Construction of 5 concrete ponds 40,000 200,000 21.51
Farm house 40,000 40,000 4.30
Bore-hole 200,000 200,000 21.51
Generator 80,000 80,000 8.60
520,000 55.92
B. Operating Costs
Fingerlings 15.00 (5000) 75,000 8.06
5 scoop nets 1,000 5,000 0.54
30 bags of fish feed (for 6 5,000 150,000 16.13
months)
3 Labour (night guards) 10,000 per/person/ 170,000 18.28
month
Fueling the generator 10,000 10,000 1.07

26
 Ironkwe M.O and Jamabo N: Continental J. Fisheries and Aquatic Science 4: 23 - 29, 2010

Total cost of production (TCP) 930, 000

Table 4: (ii) Profitability Analyses of catfish rearing

Profitability Indicators Values (1 Year)

Price of fish per kilo N500
Total value of product (TVP) (for 4,500 kilos) 2,250,000
Net farm income (NFI) 1,320,000
Rate of return on investment (%) 141.94
Return on fixed cost 1840,000
Rate of return on fixed cost (%) 353.85
Rate of Return on variable cost (%) 421.95

According to the findings of this study, their major source of funding came from personal savings and this
affected the business operations. Four percent (4%) of the respondents complained of theft by the workers and
other people in the area.

Table 3 (i) revealed the annual production cost and return to catfish (clarias gariepinus) rearing. The study
considered one of the respondents farm that had the stock size of 5000 fingerlings (procured at about six weeks
old). The cost structure showed that the total fixed cost (TFC) constituted 55.92% of the total cost of production
(TCP) while the variable cost (TVC) accounted for 44.08%.

In the first year of operation, the total amount invested was N930,000 out of which N520,000 and N410,000
were fixed (for ponds, farm house, borehole and generator) and variable (for fingerlings, scooping nets, fish
feed, fuel and labour) costs respectively. In the first year of operation, the net farm income (NFI) was
N1,320,000.

This gave a rate of return to investment of 141.94%, the rate of return to fixed cost was 353.88% and the rate of
return to variable cost was 421.95%. The profit of N13020,000 was the net farm income (NFI) for the first six
months of operation. Economic viability of aquaculture depends on the interplay of various complex factors. It
is often the aim of the fish farmers to cut down production cost in order to increase the return to investment.
However, production cost is a function of operational skills, which include selection of sites, fish species, type
of feed to use and the manipulation of the growth pattern and also the production capacity of the culture system.
This finding of this study conforms to the findings of other workers (light foot 1990, Altieri et al 1992,
Rathanawraha, 1992, Abiedun et al; 2004, and Onuoha, 1999). The practical application of these factors is that
nutrients are supplied to the ponds in form of protein fortified feeds which gives success (growth rate of about
4.52g/day). This business outfit gives stabilized income which encourages its adoption widely particularly by
small and marginal farmers.

Availability of fish, a valuable animal protein is important to the families of the fish rearers. The business
generates employment opportunities. Specifically it provides benefit as women lab our could maintain it and
they need not engage lab our from outsides the family.

Stealing of fish is a common social problem of the culture system especially in developing countries. This
necessities the provision of a night guard for the project.

The financial analysis is based on the intensive culture in which quality formulated rations are fed to achieve
faster growth at short interval. Special fish servicing activities like constructing ponds, buying tanks, sinking
bore hole for water etc will be bone by the prospective investor in the first year. These input, in the subsequent
years are added to the benefit of the investor. Hence, makes investment profitable. From this and other studies,
catfish farming is a prospective business especially when modern methods based on sound, scientific,
ecological, technological and economic principles are applied.

27
 Ironkwe M.O and Jamabo N: Continental J. Fisheries and Aquatic Science 4: 23 - 29, 2010

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Catfish rearing common among households in Port Harcourt city has a bright prospect in Nigeria, considering
the need to explore and utilize the available land with little inputs to culture fish. This important aquatic animal
will supplement the grossly inadequate animal protein requirements. Such an enterprise can only be achieved if
the attendant constraints like high cost of quality feed, lack of funds, unavailability and high cost of land etc as
highlighted by this study are addressed.

Prospects however, abound for this enterprise in view of the role that fish play in animal protein supply. The
economics of production and sales of this enterprise has shown quite encouraging results considering the low
cost of capital investment and profitable revenue that is accruable from it. It is proposed therefore that strategies
for development of this enterprise include provision of credit facilities with little or no interest, and government
rural development programmes as important steps to attack the aspects of vicious cycle of poverty, low
productivity, and danger of HIV Aids and welfare problems like infants and maternal mortality that exists.
Proper policy and planning in both government and private agencies to adopt a strategy of optimum utilization
of natural resources through initiative judgment in decision making.

The catfish farmers should be exposed to organized trainings like workshops and seminars by government and
non-governmental organizations. As this will give them opportunity to learn new techniques in catfish rearing
and marketing. Foreign feed should be imported and sold to them at subsidized rate. While local feed millers
should be checked to produce quality feeds. This business venture will boom and as much as possible
appropriate an equilibrium between the demand and supply of animal protein if the above recommendations are
adhered to.

REFERENCES
Abiedun, J. A., Alamu, S. O and Miller, T. W. (2004). Assessment of inland water fisheries in Nigeria with
implication for improved freshwater fish production. Poverty Alleviation and Food Security. In proceedings of
the fishery Society of Nigeria.

Afolabi, O. A Arawomo, A. O and Oke, O. (1984): Quality Changes of Nigerian traditionally processed
freshwater species. In nutritive and onoleptic Changes. J. Food Technol, 19:333-340.

Altieri, M. A and Yurjevic A. 1992. Changing the agenda of the Universities ILEIA, Newsletter 8: 39.

Basorum, Y.O and Olakulehin, J.O. (2007), The Lagos State fish farmers Association. Low exterical input and
sustainable agriculture (LEISA) magazine, 2 (1): 10- 11.

Bello, H. M and Bah. S, (2004) Econometric analysis of demand for beef and fish in Banjul the Gambia, In:
Proceeding of 29th Annual Conference of the Nigeria Society of Animal production (Eds) Tukur H.M., W. A
Hassan, S. A. Maigandi J. K. Ipinjolu, A. I. Danaji, K. M. Baba, and B. R Olarede, 29: 419 – 423.

Eyo, A. A. (1997), Utilization of estimated fish Species in Nigeria. Proc. Of 10th Annual Conference, fish
society of Nigeria. A. A. Eyo and A.M. Balogun (eds) pp 32 – 38.

Eyo, A.A. (2001), Fish Proceeding Technology in Tropics, 20pp.

FAO, (1999), The State of World Fisheries of Aquaculture, 1998, Rome 112p

FAO (2001), Production, accessibility marketing and consumption patterns of freshwater aquaculture products
in developing countries. A cross country Comparison. F.A.O fisheries circular No. 973, Rome.

Lightfoot, C. (1990), Integrated route to Sustainable farming Inter Agric. Dev. 10:9-10.

Mabawonku, F. A. (1989), A Structural Analysis of the Nigeria fisheries Industry. Nigeria Journal of
Agricultural Sciences 4 (2)! 116-122.

28
 Ironkwe M.O and Jamabo N: Continental J. Fisheries and Aquatic Science 4: 23 - 29, 2010

Mai-Musa .M. (1996) Traditional beliefs and Medicinal uses of fish in some selected villages around Kainji
Lake Basin. A National Diploma Project soubrette to Federal College of Freshwater Fisheries Technology, New
Bussa, Nigeria, pp. 10 – 16.

Onuoha, G. C. 1999, Integration of fish Cum chickens Journal Science, Agriculture and Engineering 62: p.
1750 – 1764.

Rattanvaraha C. (1992), Sustainable Integrated farming System. In Sustainable Agricultural and Nature
Network of Alternative Agricultural Bankok. Pp 79 – 112.

Sule, O. D, Ovie, S. I and Ladu, B. M. B (2001), Marketing and Distribution of Fish from Lake Chad. In
Proceedings of Fishery Society of Nigeria (Eds) Eyo, A. A and E. A. Ajao 65 – 80.

Received for Publication: 07/04/2010

Accepted for Publication: 13/06 /2010

Corresponding Author
Ironkwe M.O
Department of Animal Science and Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Port Harcourt, P.M.B 5323,
Choba, Port Harcourt
E-mail: monicaironkwe@yahoo.com

29