Tilapia marketing in Metro Manila

Abstract

The culture of tilapia in the Philippines has spread across the country. Tilapia production is increasing as reflected in the volume of tilapia unloaded in major fish landings in the country. In Metro Manila, where a large percentage of the country s population is concentrated, tilapia consumption has gained wide acceptance among consumers. The introduction of a new and better tilapia species which is meaty and bigger in size than the first species introduced in the country has ushered in the acceptance of tilapia even among sophisticated consumers in urban areas. While literature on the culture of tilapia abounds, only a few papers on the marketing of this fish have been written, thus leaving much questions on this matter still unanswered. This paper hopes to add to whatever information is available on the marketing of tilapia. Primary focus is given on the marketing of tilapia in Metro Manila. Special emphasis of this paper will be on the distribution, production, price trends and problems in marketing of tilapia in Metro Manila. The data are based on a study conducted among fish traders, wholesalers and retailers and other available information related to the subject. Experiences and observations of the author in marketing tilapia in Metro Manila for the past five years have also been included to add practical relevance to this paper.