Marketing and Statistical Assessment of Income of Fish Retailers in Jammu Region of Jammu & Kashmir State, India

Abstract

The primary data have been collected from Jammu and Kathua markets to estimate the price for fish through marketing cost, margins, and net price received by the retailers, wholesalers, and fisherman. There were two marketing channels found in Jammu and Kathua districts. Channel I: Wholesaler-Retailer-Consumers & Channel II: Fishermen-Retailers-Consumers. As per the study both the marketing channel existed in Jammu district whereas in Kathua district only channel II was found. The channel I of Jammu district was for arrival of Rohu and Singhara fish whereas the channel II of Jammu and Kathua district was for local fish.  Marketing channel I of the Jammu district for Singhara fish was the most efficient followed by Rohu fish and local fish. Further while comparing the marketing efficiency through Shepherd Index, the marketing channel of Kathua district was found better than the Jammu district for local fish. The annual income of retailers of Jammu district was significantly more as compared to retailers of Kathua district. The average annual income of fish retailers of Jammu was Rs. 72666.67  and of Kathua districts was Rs. 63000/- which is Rs. 11666.67 less than of Jammu retailers may be due to lack of  adequate storage facilities, high transport cost, good quality of variety of fishes, educational status of retailers etc. The Garret ranking technique was used to study marketing constraints and found that first constraints was given to spoilage of fish in transport followed by marketing cost and high cost of transportation.