How to Source for Competitive Buyers for your Catfish

In every market, there is at least a seller, a buyer and a means through which the goods get to the buyers. In catfish farming business, middlemen are the channel through which table size catfish get to bulk buyers across the country. This is due to the fact that point of production is always far away from point where catfishes are sold. Also catfish farmers are not organized enough to link buyers directly from various locations across the country.

Production process in catfish farming is not concluded until farmers are able to sell their fishes to the right buyer(s). Our continuity in business depends so much on how we were able to market our previous productions. From my own observations, one of those things that discourage catfish farmers most is lack of competitive buyers to buy their fishes as at when due.

The need to expose catfish farmers to ways of getting competitive buyers for their product becomes important due to what farmers pass through at the end of the production process. Some middlemen have personalized certain areas where catfishes are produced to treat farmers as they like. You need to know how catfish farmers suffer in the hands of these middlemen when demands for catfishes drop slightly in the market. Here are some tips on how to go about getting the best buyers for your goods.

• Do not stock more than your financial capacity so that you will not be forced to sell at the wrong time.
• Don’t wait till you run out of cash before you start marketing your fishes.
• Ensure you start marketing your fishes two weeks before they are ready for sales. Never be in a hurry to sell.
• Make sure you know the sizes of your fishes so as to contact the right buyer. You lose more by selling to the wrong buyer.
• Contact as many buyers as possible — even those far away from your locality. This can be achieved through constant connections with other farmers outside your locality.
• If you are a big farmer, ensure you have different sizes of catfish on your farm to increase your chances of getting competitive buyers.
• Instead of selling on credit, you can reduce your price tag by maximum of 10 naira and get your cash.
• Never sell your fishes without asking other farmers about the current prices of fish in the market.