PRICE SPREAD AND MARKETING EFFICIENCY FOR DIFFERENT SUPPLY CHAIN OF INLAND FISHES IN ALAPPUZHA DISTRICT, KERALA: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The Kerala state tops in fish consumption, and its demand for fish both marine as well as inland increases day by day. Alappuzha district of Kerala is one of the major hubs which distributes both captured and cultured fishes from nearby sea, backwaters and from other waterbodies. When it has been discovered that the population of sea fish is declining owing to climate change, freshwater fish appears to rule the market. The objective of the present study is to find the liveliest supply chains of the area selected for the research, price spread, cost incurred by different intermediaries involved in the marketing of inland fishes and finally to derive its efficiency. For the study of inland fish marketing, 20 samples were collected from each trader involved in the selected supply chain viz, inland fish farmers, wholesalers, and retailers from Alappuzha district during the month of May-June 2022.  It was found that retailers are the key actor in both the channel II and III, as they are the one who incur more marketing costs and receives highest marketing margin as well. The transportation charge was the major cost which incurred by the wholesalers whereas for the retailers it was expenses on ice and carry boxes. The study concludes that except direct channel, the supply chain II is more efficient than the supply chain III.