MARKETING OF AQUACULTURE PRODUCES IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT – AN ANALYSIS

The Indian fish market was worth INR 1,004 Billion in 2017 and it is further projected to reach INR 1,821 Billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 10.4% during 2018-2023. Freshness,  intact, taste, less wastage, easy to cook, less ammonia compounds, less red meat, value addition, less cost, easy purchase without any negotiation, acceptable price, proper handled, availability, etc. are found to influence the marketing of fishes in the country. The key intermediaries in fish marketing are: auctioneer, wholesaler, retailer and the vendor. There is no clear boundary between intermediaries and they perform several functions while marketing fish.

Three types of supply chains were noticed in selling fish through super shops. Online sale of fish and fish-related food products through the website and mobile van are seen as newly emerged sales method (Fig. 1). E-commerce website and a mobile app to help fisher folks sell their products online directly to the customers have been in use. There are three key factors that determine marketing success: trust, targeted audience and budget. Farm gate sales are a common type of marketing found throughout traditional small farming sector which is considered to be the best way for immediate realization of money by the producer (Fig.2).

The only immediate solution to this problem of inconsistent price and soaring demand is to promote the culture practices in the form of ponds, cage culture, aquaponics units, etc. to make available fish in every corner of this country.