Mr Hanson Kodzo Dzamefe Jnr, the Bono Regional Director of the Fisheries Commission, has urged graduates to go into fish marketing as it has been a lucrative business opportunity that filled a crucial gap in the value chain of the fishing industry.
Mr. Dzamefe Jnr. said there were limited numbers of individuals involved in fish marketing and processing, and that consequently had been a challenge for many fish farmers after stock harvesting because they lacked the marketing skills to reach consumers.
He explained that the farmers had been facing the challenge of reaching consumers directly because most of them failed to recognise the aspect of marketing and the need to factor that in their production process.
Mr Dzamefe Jnr. gave the advice when he was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani.
He suggested the need for tertiary institutions to incorporate knowledge about fish marketing into their curriculum, especially for students of agri-business, marketing, purchasing and supply programmes to develop an interest in that field.
“If I was a businessman, I will focus on processing, adding value and marketing, as that is where the real profit lies,” Mr Dzamefe Jnr. stated.
He announced that the Bono Regional Office of the Fisheries Commission in collaboration with the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Sunyani had initiated a programme where students from the University received training on fish farming and marketing during their attachment training.
Mr Dzamefe Jnr. said that practical experience equipped beneficiary students with the necessary knowledge to start their own businesses to become economically self-reliant after graduation.
He said, “fish is a widely consumed food item in various forms,” and thus made it a promising industry for university students to explore.
He expressed the hope that if the students acquired expertise in the marketing aspect, they could establish successful businesses to benefit them as individuals and the entire industry.
GNA
NOK/LKA/AD
3 Feb 2024
