Abstract

High post-harvest losses have been a major impediment to fisheries' contributions to the nation's economy. The panacea to this is an efficient and effective utilisation of improved fish processing technologies (IFPT). This study examined the utilisation of IFPT in the South-South region of Nigeria. A total of 240 fish processors were selected using multistage sampling procedure. While interview schedule was used for data collection, data were collected on socio economic status, sources of information as well as awareness IFPT. Frequency counts, percentages, means and inferential analytical techniques were used for data analysis. Result reveals that majority (82.1%) of the respondents were females, within the age range of 30-59 years, 85.6% were literate with a mean year of experience and household size of 20 years and 11 persons respectively. Results further shows that 57.6% of respondents were aware of improved technologies and the dominant information source was through friends (34.2%), then family member (16.7%) and radio (10%). The respondents were more familiar with Drum oven (1.97%), Chokor (1.96%) and Burkinade (1.77%), as IFPTs. Distribution by utilisation of IFPT shows Drum oven (51.9%), Chokor (15.66%) and Watanabe (10.9%) and the constraints to the respondents' use of the technologies were lack of capital (33.3%), epileptic power supply (20.4%) and unaffordability of equipment (16.3%) in that order. Respondent's age, sex, marital status, and education were significantly related to the fish processors' utilisation of improved technologies at 1and 10% respectively. It is recommended that the capital or zero-interest-loan should be provided to educated young, female but married fish processors who are the majority in this technology to motivate them to adopting IFPT, given the fish processing rural setting.

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