Constraints to Integrated and Non – Integrated Fish Farming Activities in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined constraints to integrated and non- integrated fish farming activities in Ogun State, Nigeria. Random sampling techniques was used to select 133 non - integrated fish farmers (NIFF) and 216 integrated fish farmers (IFF) (n = 349) from the study area. Data were analysed using chi-square and Pearson Product moment correlation. Results showed that 92.5% of NIFF was male compared to IFF (90.7%). Also, 96.8% of IFF and 79.7% of NIFF were married. The mean ages of sampled farmers were 44 years (NIFF) and 46 years (IFF) while the mean fish farming experiences were 4 years (NIFF) and 5 years (IFF). However, respondents’ major constraints to fish farming were exploitation by middlemen (88.9%), price fluctuation (92.8%), inadequate capital (87.9%) and epileptic power supply (77.4%). The chi-square analyses showed that knowledge of fish farming had significant association with respondents sex (?² = 9.44, df = 2,  p = 0.00), occupation (?² = 25.5, df = 8,  p = 0.01), Pearson correlation analyses showed significant relationship between farmers knowledge and age (r = 0.20, p = 0.00), fish farming experience (r = 0.17, p = 0.00), level of cosmopoliteness (r = 0.16, p = 0.00) and production constraints (r = -0.00, p = 0.00).