Processing and Distribution of Smoked Clarias sp in Benin City Nigeria

Processors, marketers and consumers are the major actors in appraising a marketing and distribution system. The sole aim of this study was to investigate the processing and distribution of smoked Clarias spp. in Benin City. A total of 120 individuals comprising of 48 processors, 48 retailers and 24 consumers of fish were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed in 3 Local Government Areas, Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha and Egor Local Government Areas, of Benin City. The method of sampling was purposive and the data analyzed using simple statistics. The findings of the survey revealed that a hundred percent of the processors and retailers of smoked Clarias spp. were women within the age range of less than 20 years to 50 years and above. Majority of the processors got their fish intended for smoking from fish farms (69%), fishing villages (19%) and cold stores (10%) and others from nearby markets (2%). Some of the processors (56%) carried out pre-smoking treatment such as gutting, salting, while the remaining didn’t (44%). Majority of the processors sold their products directly to the consumers only (77.1%).