Analysis of income diversification among fish farmers in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State

Abstract

The study examined income diversification among fish farmers in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria. Primary data were obtained from 120 respondents selected through a multistage sampling technique. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Simpson index of diversity, Gini coefficient and Tobit regression model. Result showed that an average fish farmer in the area was 45 years hold and had household size of 8 persons. 86.7% of the respondents were males, 95.0% were married and 99.2% had one form of formal education or the other. The SID result obtained revealed that the fish farmers were highly diversified with diversification index of 0.8055 and that income distribution among them is relatively even with estimated Gini coefficient of 0.1955. The tobit regression result shows that the respondents’ gender at p< 0.05, age at p< 0.05, educational level at p< 0.01, marital status at p< 0.10, household size at p< 0.01, income from primary occupation at p< 0.10 and access to extension services factors at p< 0.10 were the significant determinants of income diversification among the fish farmers in Shiroro LGA of Niger State. It was recommended that income diversification through fish production in the study area can be encouraged by involving females and youth’s participation in fish production, and that further research work in the area among the fish farmers should focus on their poverty and food security status.