Factors Affecting Small Scale Fish Farmers in Accessing Markets: a case study of fish value chain in HaiDuong Province, Vietnam

Traditionally, small farmers sell their crops or/and animals at the farm gate to intermediaries, often at a low price. However, innovations in marketing arrangements can transform market relations in favour of smallholders, and producer organizations are well-positioned to take advantage of these new approaches. Factor analysis was applied on twelve components of output markets in Haiduong province. The results show that there are patterns that are observable in terms of access and use of output market by fish farmers. The most commonly used output markets by aquaculture farmers are local fresh output market, the best retail produce markets as well as the wholesale fresh fish markets. The study reveals that farmers tend to sell their fish to the wholesale fresh fish markets. The best retail output markets also provide an important market outlet for produce by aquaculture farmers. Improving road conditions and transport services in the projected regions of aquaculture production as well as rural areas will not only improve accessibility of external markets, but will also improve accessibility of local output markets.