Ferdinand J. Paraguas

FISH CONSUMPTION AND FOOD SECURITY: A DISAGGREGATED ANALYSIS BY TYPES OF FISH AND CLASSES OF CONSUMERS IN SELECTED ASIAN COUNTRIES

ABSTRACT This paper discusses fish consumption and preference patterns for fish species by income groups, and by urban/rural divide in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The analysis is based on primary data collected by the WorldFish Center and its partner institutes by means of a survey of 5,931 households in the selected countries. The FAO database and other published materials were also used to analyze trends in fish consumption. Freshwater fish species constitute a major share in total per capita fish consumption in most of these countries. Pelagic and demersal marine fish are the main contributor to per capita total fish consumption in the countries with longer coastal boundaries (such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand), and in the coastal regions within each country. Results suggest that fish contributes between 15% and 53% of the total animal protein intake in these countries. Fish consumption varies widely with economic position of the households, in terms of both per capita consumption and type of fish species. Per capita fish consumption increases with increase in income. The share of fish protein in total animal protein expenditure is higher for lower income groups, demonstrating their dependence on fish as a source of animal protein. Poor people consume mostly low-price fish and rich people spend a significant portion of their fish budget on expensive fish. Per capita fish consumption is substantially higher in rural areas than in urban areas.

Technical efficiency of tilapia growout pond operations in the Philippines

Abstract The determination of efficient production levels for tilapia growout operations, given the existing technology, is necessary to examine alternative options to increase productivity. If fanners are not making efficient use of existing technologies, improving their efficiency is usually more cost‐effective than introducing new technology. This paper examines the technical efficiency of tilapia growout operations in ponds in the Philippines. A stochastic production frontier with technical inefficiency effects model is specified and estimated. The estimated mean technical efficiency of the 78 farmers in the sample is 83%. Total farm area, education and age of the farmers are some of the factors affecting technical efficiency. Those with a larger farm area, higher age and a higher educational level attain higher technical efficiency. As growers in the Philippines have attained a high level of technical efficiency under existing technology, the introduction of new technology is a key to raising the productivity of tilapia farming. The genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) strain that has recently become available provides a promising new technology to raise the productivity and output of tilapia farming.

TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF FRESHWATER POND POLYCULTURE PRODUCTION IN SELECTED ASIAN COUNTRIES: ESTIMATION AND IMPLICATION

ABSTRACT The research documented in this article estimates the levels and determinants of farm-level technical efficiencies (TE) in freshwater pond polyculture systems in China, India, Thailand, and Vietnam. The levels of country-specific TE were estimated for different production intensity levels by estimating stochastic production frontier functions involving the model for technical inefficiency effects. The results were compared with estimates from past studies of aquaculture TE. It was found that yield, input levels, and TE increases in line with intensity levels. TE estimates ranged from 42% among extensive farms in Vietnam to 93% among intensive farms in China. For low intensity farms, increased technical efficiency, and the resulting increased productivity, could be achieved by increasing human capital (through effective and efficient training and extension), provision of basic infrastructure (such as roads), easier access to seed supplies, and security of tenure or a well-defined system of land use rights. Increasing technical efficiency and productivity among intensive farms will result more from the continuous development of new technology and cross-country technology transfer. However, the realization of these potential increases in TE depends on governments in these countries continuing to provide adequate support for freshwater aquaculture development.

Current status of production and consumption of tilapia in selected Asian countries

Abstract An assessment of the status of production and consumption of tilapia in five Asian countries was made to provide a baseline for the analysis of the potential benefits of the introduction of a new, improved strain of Nile tilapia. This paper provides a comparative analysis of the profile of tilapia fanners and their farming systems, costs, returns and productivity of tilapia production, and fish consumption patterns in Bangladesh, China, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, using data from household surveys conducted by ICLARM and its partners in 1995–96. Farmers grow tilapia in varied farming environments depending on the nature of their farmland and on their investment capacity. Tilapia is cultured mainly in semi‐intensive systems on small and medium farms. The average farm size (pond area) of the surveyed pond operators varies from 0.60 ha (0.05 ha) in Bangladesh to 4.91 ha (1.56 ha) in the Philippines. In Asia, tilapia farming is very profitable. The productivity, costs of production and profitability of tilapia farms vary considerably among countries and production environments. Tilapia fanning is becoming increasingly commercial with a large proportion of production is marketed. Tilapia is consumed mainly by poor consumers because of its relatively low price compared to other fish species.

STATUS AND ECONOMICS OF FRESHWATER AQUACULTURE IN SELECTED COUNTRIES OF ASIA

ABSTRACT The paper discusses the status of freshwater aquaculture, and the productivity and cost effectiveness of alternative technologies in the major fish producing countries in Asia, such as Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The analysis is based on field survey data collected by the WorldFish Center and its partner research institutes, and supplemented by secondary information. The paper adopts descriptive techniques to compare the performance of each technology across the countries in terms of productivity, cost effectiveness and profitability. Results suggest that freshwater fish farming is generally profitable in Asia. The semi-intensive polyculture and monoculture of omnivorous and herbivorous species like carps and tilapia are likely to be more suitable for adoption by the poor farmers in Asia. Although the return from monoculture of carnivorous species such as prawn, snakehead and walking catfish is higher than that from culture of omnivorous and herbivorous species, it appears too capital intensive to be suitable for adoption by the resource poor farmers. The paper also performs econometric analysis to examine the determinants of fish production under polyculture and feed demand for the same. The results of the production function analysis reveal that further use of farm-based feed after a certain level of application cannot increase productivity as the law of diminishing marginal productivity sets in. Feed use is largely determined by the income and ownership status of the farmer. Provision of institutional credit and more secured access to the waterbodies would help poor farmers adopt appropriate aquaculture technologies.

Socioeconomics and production efficiency of tilapia hatchery operations in the Philippines

Abstract With the recent availability of genetically improved Nile tilapia strain in the Philippines, it is important to look at the existing profile of tilapia hatchery operations in the country to help examine the potential strategies in the dissemination of the improved strain among hatchery operators. This paper attempts to analyze the socioeconomics and production efficiency status of tilapia hatcheries in the Philippines prior to the adoption of genetically improved Nile tilapia strain. A stochastic frontier production function is specified and estimated to examine the levels of farm‐specific technical efficiencies of tilapia hatchery operation. Tilapia hatchery operators in the Philippines have the necessary education, tenure security, and adequate years of experience and are willing to adopt new technologies and better strains if these are made available to them. Tilapia hatchery is a highly profitable operation. The cost of production per unit of fingerling produced will be higher for the genetically improved strain compared to the existing strains. The estimated mean technical efficiency of 76 hatchery operators in the sample is 48%. By operating at full technical efficiency the tilapia hatchery operators in the Philippines, on average, would be able to increase their production from 748 000 to 1558 000 fingerlings per production cycle per hectare. This would result in the decrease in the cost of production per unit of fry/fingerling produced and would make fry/fingerling more affordable to tilapia farmers, ceteris paribus.

A Multistage Budgeting Approach to the Analysis of Demand for Fish: An Application to Inland Areas of Bangladesh

Abstract This study was conducted to estimate the elasticities of demand for eight different fish types and four income groups in Bangladesh using year-round data collected from inland areas of the country. It uses a three-stage budgeting framework that estimates a demand function for food in the first stage, a demand function for fish (as a group) in the second stage, and a set of demand functions for fish by type in the third stage using a quadratic extension of the Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) model. The Heckman procedure was used in stage three to remove the possible bias in the parameter estimates brought about by zero consumption. The magnitude of both price and income elasticities varies across different fish types and income quartile groups, indicating the relevance of estimation specific to fish types and quartiles. Except for assorted small fish, the other seven fish types included in the study were found to have positive income elasticity for all income levels. Assorted small fish is an inferior commodity for the richest quartile of the population. JEL Classification Code: C3, Q21