Market Efficiency Indicators in Marine Fish Marketing in Goa, India

The Indian State of Goa has a coastal length of 104 Kms and the State contributes 1.85% to the marine fish production of the country. A study was conducted to assess the market efficiency indicators such as Gross Marketing Margin, Percentage Share of Fisherman in the Consumers Rupee (PSFCR) and the Coefficient of variation. The study revealed that high value fishes such as cobia, silver Whiting, seer fishes, prawns and milk shark recorded a comparatively higher price spread. Varieties which recorded higher PSFCR were speckled prawn (72.86%), cobia (70.31%), seerfish (69.98%), Brown shrimps or ginga prawns (69.43%), pony fish (67.58%) and milk shark (65.61%). At the point of first sales, high value fishes such as cobia, seerfishes, prawns and silver biddy had a co-efficient of variation of less than 10% indicating a higher price stability. High value fishes such as ribbon fishes, seerfishes, cobia, indian white prawn, barracudas, brown prawns, speckled prawns, kadal shrimps and half beaks were among the list of fishes which recorded a low co-efficient of variation of less than 10% at the point of last sales.