The role of the market in the development of aquaculture in Ghana

Abstract

Aquaculture in Ghana has over the years been little productive despite earlier claims about the high potential of the country. These claims are supported by an abundance of latent natural resources that can support large scale commercial production and the existence of a strong traditional market for fish products. A survey of consumer behavior in the local market for tilapia and fish in general was conducted in Ghana. The data were subjected to tabulation and multivariate analysis to assess the availability of market for tilapia and the determinants of its demand among different income earners. Local production according to the survey is not able to satisfy the market. Whereas low income earners and large families are avid fish consumers, it is mostly the relatively small group of high income earners that can afford tilapia at current retail prices. The performance of Ghana was measured in terms of the relative competitiveness of the value chain of tilapia in China, Egypt and the Philippines, as well as with prices on the global market. All the three countries profiled had a cost advantage and this was a result of wide differences in the cost of some factors of production or their relative scarcity in Ghana. The cost of importing fish feed, high interest rate on credit and poor production technology were some of the bottlenecks that greatly reflected on first sale prices. While a kilogram of fish feed for instance cost US$ 0.3 in Egypt and US$ 0.53 in China, the average price in Ghana is US$ 1.96. The export price of frozen tilapia fillet from China is about US$ 1 while the retail price of frozen whole tilapia in Ghana is about US$ 6.5. Tilapia from any of the countries surveyed would be more competitive to that of Ghana not only in the global market but also on the Ghanaian local market given the current price differences.