DFM Karnataka
Karnataka is the largest state in South India. Although it is primarily an agricultural state, the Karnataka fishery is the fourth-largest in India, producing over 600,000 metric tonnes annually [1].
Dried fish in Karnataka
Dried fish plays a critical role in food systems and value chain. Its importance is understood in the context of not only provision of micro nutrients but also in terms of reaching out to the hinterlands beyond coasts. Dried fish is generally affordable by poor and plays an important role in their diet.
There are number factors constraining dried fish value chain. Broadly those could be categorized as demand side factors and supply side factors. The demand side factors could include:
- dried fish is not seen as an aspirational food and hence is substituted with other alternative food items as income increases or other substitutes are easily available and affordable
- dried fish is being perceived or conspired as an unhealthy food as it contains high amount of salt
- there are several quality related issues deter people from consuming dried fish
- stable availability of dried fish declining making it an unattractive food item, and so on.
Similarly, there are several supply-side factors and competition with other usage of fish constrain dried fish supply. Some of these include:
- Fish going for drying has to compete with fresh fish demand, demand from fish meal fish oil producers, surimi and other industries after landing. Dried fish often loose out in such competition. One of the prominent reasons for dried fish losing out in the competition is due to informal, unorganized and small-scale nature of production and processing of dried fish in comparison to large scale industrial mode of production of other competitors of landed fish.
- There is a decline in the aspiration among the processors engaging in fish drying activities. This is leading to lesser number of younger individuals getting in to the profession leaving the dried fish profession managed by an aging people, especially women.
- Small scale fisheries and dried fish are strongly connected. Precarity of small-scale fisheries also reflects in the declining availability of fish for drying process.
- Fish drying activities depend on availability of coastal common land on which it thrives. Coastal grabbing and declining availability of coastal commons makes the dried fish processing a cumbersome process and hence unattractive in the long-run.
- The value chain of national and global economy has created a formal and efficient market structure for varieties of other types fish usage including fresh fish. However, dried fish generally thrived on informal process that finds it difficult to compete with other forms of fish. As such, little is known about the dried fish value chain and challenges therein constraining processing and supply of dried fish.
In this context, our research is inclined to understand, ascertain and verify role of various supply side and demand side factors in dried fish value chain. We wish to understand this in the context of Karnataka coast especially between Mangalore and Karwar.
Research Questions
- What is the trend and scenario of dried fish production and value chain in Karnataka?
- What are the drivers of dried fish supply, what are the challenges and competition to the supply of side of dried fish?
- What are the drivers of dried fish demand (including species composition) and what are the challenges and competition associated with those?
- What role the dried fish processor and traders play in its value chain and how has it changed over a period of time?
Methodology
This study has twofold approach to data collection and analysis. In the first phase we intend to collate the secondary data relating to dried fish as well as people engaged in post-harvest activities relating to Karnataka. The data thus we would be collating would be collected from various sources including, state fisheries statistics, fisheries statistics of India, CMFRI and MPEDA. Prima facie there is dearth of information on species composition for dried fish, people engaged processing activities, who produces, who procures, where the fish is sold and at what price, how the value chain operates and where are the final consumers located etc. Our primary level field investigation is intended in this direction. However, we would be focusing on the processors and first level traders of dried fish to infer about the value chain of dried fish. Wherever feasible we would attempt to move further up in the value chain to understand and establish the link. The primary data collection would be largely qualitative and exploratory in nature while we do intend to get some information of type of fish species, prices and quantity apart from interacting with some players in the upper end of the value chain. We intend to focus on some of the important formal and informal landing sites in Karnataka coast from Mangalore to Karwar.
Project team
- Prof. Amalendu Jyothishi, Professor, School of Development, Azim Premji University
- Prof. Ramachandra Bhatta, formerly Professor of Fisheries Economics, College of Fisheries, Mangalore
- Dr. Priya Gupta, Amruta School of Business, Bengaluru
- Mr. Narayana K A, Coordinator NETFISH Mangalore
- Ms. Gargi Mondal, Summer Intern, Masters student from School of Economics, University of Hyderabad
Partners
Azim Premji University
Azim Premji University was established in Karnataka in 2010 through the Azim Premji University Act 2010 of the Government of Karnataka. It is recognized by The University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 2F.
- The Azim Premji Foundation is the sponsoring body of the University. The University has an explicit social purpose to contribute towards the building of a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society. Its mission is to
- Prepare graduates with great competence, integrity and social commitment
- Expand the frontiers of knowledge in education, development and allied fields through research
- Support and enhance the work of the education and development sectors in the country through continuing education
- Contribute to change in policy and practice in the Indian education and development sectors through advocacy and public communication
The University is organized into 5 schools; School of Education, Development, Policy and Governance, Arts and Sciences, Continuing Education and University Resource Center and a University wide research centre. Currently, the University has 1150 students and over 250 members and offers five post graduate and seven undergraduate programs in the sciences and social science domains. The University research centre conducts extensive research in all domains of human development in collaboration with several institutions and over a 100 projects have been completed.