Analysis of Wholesale Frozen Fish Markets in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

The study was carried out to evaluate the wholesale frozen fish market in Calabar, Cross River State for the period January 2000 to December 2010. Data for the study were obtained from records kept by five firms in the area. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Herfindahl index, analysis of variance and multiple regression analysis. The result showed that the wholesale frozen fish market structure is perfectly competitive with an Herfindahl index of 0.211. The mean marketing margin per carton (20 kg) of the different species of frozen fish in absolute and relative terms were N 251.21 and 21.42%; N 373.56 and 12.5%; N 283.74 and 17.99%; N 358.61 and 13.48%; N 167.39 and 11.8% for sardinella, croaker, herring, original mackerel and horse mackerel, respectively. However, the mean marketing margin among the species of frozen fish was significantly different (F-cal cal 6.03>critical 2.39). The results further revealed that the supply of frozen fish was positively and significantly influenced by the prices of the commodity overtime. The short run and long run elasticities with respect to own price were 0.48 and 0.56; 0.29 and 0.62 ; 0.17 and 0.25 ;0.44 and 0.82; 0.38 and 4.67 for sardinella, herring, original mackerel, horse mackerel and croaker, respectively. Trading more on sardinella would give the wholesalers more in terms of marketing margin while increase in the price of croaker would be an incentive to increase its supply overtime.