The Lagos State Catfish Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria (LASCAFAN) has raised concerns over what it describes as a monopoly of catfish sales by traders and middlemen in Lagos markets.
Chairman of the association, Mr Olatoye Fajimi, said the current structure prevents fish farmers from selling their produce at prices that reflect their production costs and efforts.
According to him, traders and middlemen determine the market price of raw catfish, leaving farmers with little control over revenue from their harvests.
“We are not in charge of the sales of our catfish produce. The market women traders’ association has monopolised the sales,” Fajimi said.
He explained that LASCAFAN members are primarily producers and are not permitted to sell raw catfish directly in the markets. Farmers, he added, are only allowed to sell processed fish, while access to market stalls for raw produce remains restricted.
Describing the situation as a long-standing dispute between farmers and marketers, Fajimi said the arrangement has significantly affected the profitability of fish farming in the state.
“The sales of our produce and the factors that determine the price are not in our hands, and it is affecting the profitability of farmers’ efforts,” he said.
Fajimi called on the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture to intervene and create a more balanced system that allows farmers to participate directly in market sales.
He disclosed that toward the end of last year, the association introduced community-based sales points to enable farmers to sell directly within their localities. However, he alleged that traders disrupted the initiative during operations.
When the matter was reported to the Ministry of Agriculture, he said the response indicated that only licensed marketers are authorised to sell in established markets.
Fajimi noted that farmers are currently limited to working with off-takers who supply supermarkets, restaurants and hotels.
While this arrangement allows some level of direct supply, he said middlemen still dominate pricing because they control access to open markets.
“As middlemen, they buy from us and resell, which gives them control over pricing. That is why we are often forced to accept lower prices and why the catfish business continues to face marketing challenges,” he said.