Effect Of Adoption Of Standard Management Practices On Yield Of Urban Fish Farmers

Effect Of Adoption Of Standard Management Practices On Yield Of Urban Fish Farmers

Abstract

The study examined food safety among vendors of dried fish in the Ondo State local governments of Akure North and South. The purpose of the study was to determine the safety precautions taken by sellers of dried fish, calculate the cost of food safety, and analyze the issue of dried fish marketing in the study area. Data were gathered through a questionnaire, along with oral interviews, in-person observations in the market, and other methods. Twelve dried fish vendors from each of the five markets that were randomly chosen in each local government district were sampled, making a total of 120 respondents in the study’s sample. Tools for descriptive and financial analysis were employed to examine the data. Although the sales area was not sterile, vendors appeared to be at least somewhat concerned about customer safety.

In some circumstances, the product was sun-dried while being heated with charcoal. The presence of flies swarming around the dried fish in every sales location where products were not wrapped and poor drying producing mould were the problems with food safety that were identified. The study determined that for every naira spent on the marketing of dried fish, two naira fifty kobo might be earned. The cost of dried fish increased by 9.68% per unit. This suggests that in order to obtain nutritious items, buyers must be prepared to pay more. No marketers were found to have safety barriers or packaging that was properly sealed.

Chapiter 1

Introduction

1.1 The Economic Impact of Marketing Unsafe Food in Nigeria

The food and agricultural industries have remained important economic drivers for many countries. In order for a country to survive and thrive, agriculture is essential. Many developing countries have been concerned about the problems with food production in terms of availability, accessibility, wholesomeness, and nutrient quality. “Food” is any substance or material that is consumed to provide the body with nutrition; food often comes from plants or animals and contains vital nutrients including carbs, lipids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. According to Whitney and Rolfes (2005), food is a product made from plants or animals that may be consumed by humans or other animals to provide the body with the energy and nutrients it needs to sustain life and support tissue growth and repair.

Food is a good that is accepted as food in society and is so regarded as traditional. It contains nutrients and is, therefore, nutritive, capable of satiating appetite, and palatable. According to FAO/WHO (1991), safety is defined as the establishment of procedures and activities to ensure that the standards for toxicological and microbiological dangers are met.

Therefore, food safety refers to the handling, preparing, and storing of food in a manner that prevents food borne disease as well as the assurance that food will not harm the customer when it is prepared and/or consumed in accordance with its intended usage. To prevent potentially serious health risks, a number of procedures should be followed (FAO/WHO, 1992).

Worldwide, households spend a lot of money on food because it is a necessity. It plays a significant role in both domestic and foreign trade. Both our biological and material interests are impacted by what we eat. Therefore, maintaining a consistent and secure food supply is a crucial duty that affects us all. According to FAO/WHO, 1980, food safety is a complicated and multifaceted topic that requires the involvement of scientists, industrialists, farmers, businesspeople, administrators, and consumers.

The creation of safety, quality, and labeling standards is at the core of all food control efforts. Given that food production and marketing are genuinely a global industry, these should be established on the greatest feasible scale. If a food has sensory qualities including flavor, scent, palatability, and appearance, it is considered to have quality.

Food quality is a multi-factor indicator of how well the portions of a food product that a seller is willing and able to sell at a certain price regularly fulfill the needs and expectations of customers who are willing and able to pay that amount for the food product. A product’s conformity to a certain level of perfection, which represents precise norms or specifications with little expense to the manufacturer and is thought to be satisfactory with the consumer in general, can be viewed as a product’s quality.

Food and feed contamination, which renders both unsuitable for eating, is a major problem globally. It is a severe issue in many underdeveloped nations where the desire to eat may take precedence over worries about food safety. This is made even worse by increased globalization.

The issue with food is that, despite the fact that man hunts or gathers it for his own use, many other living things attempt to exploit it for their own purposes. This covers a wide range of organisms, from big animals to little life forms like insects to microscopic life forms like bacteria. Food contamination places a significant social and financial strain on society and its healthcare systems.

1.2 Statement of the Issue

When handled and stored, dried fish readily collects moisture, especially in environments with high relative humidity. This happens when the dried fish absorbs moisture from its immediate surroundings, leading to an increase in water activity that promotes the formation of mold and deterioration.

The processing of dried fish might result in insect and rodent attacks, which further contaminate the food with microorganisms. As a result, pesticides must be used to protect dried fish during marketing. The usage of pesticides or insecticides may have an impact on consumer safety because of the potential for food poisoning brought on by the residual activity of the pesticides.

The financial effects of tainted food are catastrophic. Food shipments to affluent countries that are turned down cost developing nations with limited resources foreign exchange (FAO/WHO 1992). A country’s economy may suffer significantly if trading partners lose faith in it. Additionally, those who contract food-borne illnesses have bodily and mental anguish, and the nation bears the financial weight of their medical bills as well as their lost salaries.

By lowering food losses due to insect attack and contamination, effective food safety control systems in underdeveloped nations can significantly contribute. The following research issues will be covered by the study:

What are the barriers to food safety that dried fish vendors in the study area face?

What are the financial costs associated with food safety for dried fish marketers?

What are some potential improvements to dried fish safety procedures?

What are the reasons why people in the study region become sick from dried fish?

Is the sale of dried fish profitable?

1.3 Study’s objectives

The primary goal is to conduct an investigation of food safety among vendors of dried fish in Akure, Ondo State. The precise goals are to:

Analyze the socioeconomic traits of those who sell dried fish.

enumerate the safety procedures that dried fish vendors use.

the price of food safety for sellers of dried fish.

Identify the sellers’ marketing challenges with dried fish.

1.4 The Study’s Justification

Through sufficiency in the amount of food provided and an emphasis on quality as shown by nutrition and food safety, agriculture and food security serve as a springboard for health.

Numerous acute and chronic illnesses, ranging from cancer to different types of diarrheal diseases, are brought on by unsafe food. According to the WHO, combined cases of food- and water-borne diarrheal illnesses result in the deaths of roughly 2.2 million people yearly, including 1.9 million children, the majority of whom live in underdeveloped nations.

The amount of resources utilized and the effectiveness of production are dependent on the employment of the right infrastructure, technology, and processes for storing, processing, marketing, and transporting food.

At the conclusion of this study, it is anticipated that the findings will not only be helpful for participants, potential participants, and consumers of dried fish, but will also be helpful for future researchers, extension agents, and policy makers in identifying long-term solutions to the various issues with food safety among dried fish sellers.