Like I said in my last article, glut is a common experience in the catfish market. It has hindered the development of catfish farming to a great extent. With an estimated population of about 170 million people, glut in catfish markets in Nigeria is uncalled for irrespective of the season. I still believe that catfish farmers in Nigeria are producing far below what is needed. However, the influx of sea foods including fishes into Nigeria has reduced the demand for catfishes in the market. Apart from variety of tastes, imported fishes are relatively cheaper compared to catfish produced in the country. This is due to an enabling environment in the source country.
Tag: glut
Glut is a common occurrence in catfish market. It is a period of time when demand for catfish drops significantly. It happens annually, usually when supply is a bit higher than demand towards the tail end of the raining season. New catfish farmers whose catfishes mature around this period may not be encouraged to continue in the business. However, to some old catfish farmers, glut is an unavoidable experience that must be well managed. In the past, farmers usually plan their stocking to avoid the period of glut.
Recently, farmers may not be able to predict the time in which glut will occur in the year. As a matter of fact, glut now occurs in the period we least expect due to constant changes in our economy. You might not really bother with what happens during the period of glut in catfish market if only your farm can shun the market situation and focus on feeding till the time sales will improve again. My experience in catfish farming has taught me that sooner or later demand will come for your catfishes irrespective of their sizes.