Fish Markets: Role in Increasing Production and Productivity of Fish in Dhar, Jhabua and Alirajpur Districts

The aim of the paper is to generate a discussion among different institutional stakeholders with the aim of recognizing the role of markets in impacting the levels of production and productivity of small scale fisheries in the three districts of Dhar, Jhabua and Alirajpur

1. Fish Market

Markets are the critical interface between the producer and the consumer. They facilitate in bringing the two together and facilitate an exchange of product with value. Fish markets too play a similar role in bringing the fisher and the fish consumer together and enable sale-purchase transaction between the two.

2. Efficient Fish Market

Fish market to be efficient for both the consumer and the producer should fulfill the following three criteria:

(i)        fish markets should provide facilities and services so that it reduces the post harvest losses for the fisher;

(ii)       fish being an edible product the fish markets should be able to ensure food safety for the consumers; and

(iii)      the fish markets should be placed and operated in a manner that they are able to increase the market access and thereby widen the consumer base.

3. Present status of Fish Market in Dhar, Jhabua and Alirajpur

The present status of fish market in the three districts of Dhar, Jhabua and Alirajpur are as follows:

Types of Market:  There are three types of fish markets that exist in the region: permanent shops in regular markets mostly in small towns; weekly markets that are held in different parts of the region; and sale of fish by vendors as they move to different villages for their sale.

Market Infrastructure:  The characteristics of fish markets in the region are:

• there is no fixed place for the market and hence there is absence of infrastructure that has been created for them (eg raised platform).
• most weekly fish markets are held next to a sewage or nullah or a water body. The water is used to clean the fish and keep it in fresh condition.
• there are no mechanism for disposal of fish waste and garbage. This further attracts fleas and other mosquitoes.
• there are no mechanisms for storage of fish. Fish traders do not use and there are no cold storages where surplus or unsold fish can be kept.

Sale practices:  Fish sellers keep the fish in open that attracts dust and insects. Fish are sold by piece and by weight. In case of former the fish is not cut and sold as a whole piece and in case of latter it is cut and cut pieces are sold. Knife, weighing scale, wooden chopping board, plastic/jute sheet are the equipment that a seller keeps with her/himself for sale in the market. For sale of fish in live condition an aluminum or plastic tub is kept with water to keep the fish alive.

4. Increasing Efficiencies of Fish Market

(a) Creating Facilitating Market Infrastructure

• dedicated place for fish market by construction of raised platform
• regular supply of potable water
• hygienic stalls with proper roofing and flooring
• ensuring availability of ice or cold storage facility
• proper drainage from the market

(b) Ensuring Hygienic conditions for fish market and fish produce

• cleanliness mechanism of fish market for safe disposal of fish waste
• making it mandatory to use net, and other covers to protect fish from dust and insects in the market
• making insulated fish boxes available to fish sellers
• creation of toilet facilities around the fish market

(c) Development of Cold Chain for Fish

• creating cold chain facilities in clusters that can be used by fishers
• developing a network among the nodes of cold chain to facilitate development of wholesale market

(d) Promoting value added fish products

• providing capacity inputs to fishers to develop value added products of fish eg fish pickle, fish pakoras, fish meal etc
• creating facilities for making fish manure