Value Addition among Youth Artisanal Fisher-Folks: Evidence from Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo State, Nigeria

Agriculture has taken a new dimension within the last few decades as emphasis is placed on value addition, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. However, extent of involvement of youth artisanal fisher-folks in value addition in fish production is largely unknown in literature. The study was conducted in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State of Nigeria with the view to determining youth artisanal fisher-folks involvement in fish value addition. Specifically, the study identified areas of fish value addition, sources of technical information and analyzed their extent of involvement in fish value addition. One hundred and twenty five respondents were selected with the use of multi-stage sample technique. Data collected were adequately described with frequency, percentages, mean while Chi-square was used to analyse association between variables. The mean age of fisher folks was 26.5 years with male dominance of about 74.4%. Furthermore, all fisher folks had a minimum of primary education. Smoking was the common value addition practiced. Government ADP and Fadama remained the sources of value addition practices and 62.2% of the fisher folks had low extent of involvement in value addition. To boost income was the main reason for engaging in value addition among the youth and sex ( = 16.12), extension contact ( = 9.06) and educational status ( = 9.24) were significantly associated with their extent of involvement in value addition at 0.05 significant level. The study establishes that youth fisher folks predominantly involved in smoking as the value addition to fish production. Adequate education on the importance of other value addition practices should be taught by the stakeholders in food security programme in Nigeria, especially to fish fishers. This will be a strategy to minimum fish importation in Nigeria.