Are the Kerala fish markets efficient?. Study on the strategy of fish markets in Kerala

      Аннотация: To make fish available to consumers at the right time and in the right place requires an effective marketing system. Fishermen who catch fish by labouring overnight (from common-property water bodies) do not usually sell fish in retail markets. At the break of day, they take their catches to places where retailers meet them and bargain by the lot. At the landing point, the number of intermediaries is low. Only one to five intermediaries may approach a fisherman. Once bargaining has started, other intermediaries remain at a distance and wait for their turn to deal, the first intermediary should fail to obtain the fisherman's lot. If the first intermediary is unsuccessful, another step is to bargain for the catch. Normally, the first retailer does not allow this to happen and secures the lot for himself. No open bidding exists in such a case. Therefore, the poor fisherman often falls prey to the intermediary’s or retailers' crude exploitations. This study based on Trivandrum reveals the existing marketing strategies in the fisheries sector in Kerala.

Ключевые слова: marketing strategies, Intermediaries, Wholesaler, Retailer, inefficiency