Consultant for Fish Value Chain Analysis at Oxfam

Introduction

• The produce and sell (PROSELL) project is a 54 months Food Security and Resilience project funded by the European Union (EU) managed by Oxfam in Nigeria and implemented in partnership with Development Exchange Centre (DEC) in 80 communities in six (6) benefiting LGAs namely: ZING, ARDO-KOLA, TAKUM, DONGA, WUKARI, KURMI. PROSELL project is aimed at building resilience of 40,000 small-scale farmers, fishermen and livestock owners (women, youth, and vulnerable households), increase income of small scale farmers by enhancing their agricultural productivity, market access, and job creation along crop, fish and livestock value chains, enhance adaptive capacities of small-scale farming households to climate change and promote cooperation and mutual benefits of farmers, livestock owners, and all value chain actors in Taraba State.

The Specific objectives are:

• To increase income of small scale farmers by enhancing their agricultural productivity, market access, and job creation along crop, fish and livestock value chains.
• To enhance adaptive capacities and resilience of small-scale farming households to climate change.
• To promote cooperation and mutual benefits of farmers, livestock owners, and all value chain actors.

Rationale

• Identifying issues that are critical for progress of agri-food chains including fisheries sub-sector and designing action plans to embark upon these issues is an important mission for chain actors and support institutions. Although this is a demanding task; development success depends on a large number of variables.
• Value Chains describe the full range of activities which are required to bring a product or service from conception, through the different phases of production (involving a combination of physical transformation and the input of various producer services), delivery to final consumers, and final disposal after use1[1].
• Although Oxfam previously commissioned a study on market survey/rapid assessment of catfish/poultry value chain in Kebbi, Adamawa and Taraba states, the main objective of the study was to scale up the fish feed calculator App innovation which was piloted in Ibadan. Some of the limitations of the study include: a) the focus on a particular specie (i.e., catfish) and aquaculture system of production which may not be the predominant species and fish farming system, respectively in Taraba that plays critical roles in income generation among different actors; b) the findings of the study was limited to only one actor in the fish value chain, which is the input supply players (feed and fingerlings) thereby omitting other actors in fish value chain such as producers, processors, consumers and other supporting institutions (regulatory bodies, financial institutions, etc) who has important roles to play in the functioning and efficiency of fish business.
• These omissions are gaps that needs to be filled to give a direction to proper implementation of PROSELL’s fish component which seeks to support fish production entrepreneurs with access to inputs (both production and processing) and markets. It is against this backdrop that there is need to conduct a comprehensive study of all the fish value chain with the view to identifying existing market outlets, determine worthwhileness of fish business, analysing the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of fish business, and constraints that militates against the efficiency of the entire value chain.
• The outcome of the study will enable the PROSELL project to identify ‘felt’ needs of the value chain actors and determine where programmatic interventions will focus to achieve significant impact on the livelihoods of the value chain actors particularly youth2[2] and women3[3].

Objective of the Assignment:

• The underlying objective of the fisheries value chain analysis understand the socioeconomic characteristics of the key fisheries actors in the fisheries value chain identify opportunities for growth in the fisheries value chain in Taraba State. In doing so, emphasis should be on those opportunities that have the potential to generate significant additional livelihoods, particularly at the level of the fishing communities and for low-income groups. The study is expected to conduct an analysis of the upstream and downstream fisheries industry with reference to Taraba state. The results from the value chain analysis will be used to identify programmatic interventions to promote those livelihood outcomes for our target participants.
• The primary fish product that the study is expected to focus for the study is both fresh and smoked fish (major species/product forms) destined for domestic markets. However, work will also be undertaken on frozen fish to find out more about the significance of these value chains.

Specific Objectives:

• Describe the socio-economics characteristics of the fish value chain actors;
• Identify and describe the products and any distinct sub-groups that constitute the main focus for this study (fresh fish, smoked and frozen fish); where possible, provide an estimate of applicable product volumes in markets;
• Describe the predominant production practice especially by the smallholder fish producers to understand their capacity for sustainable fishery production practices;
• Describe the existing support systems/functions; and the rules, regulations, and norms governing the value chain in Taraba State;
• Geo-referenced identified fish production, processing centres and market locations across particularly in the LGAs of intervention (Ardo-kola, Donga, Kurmi, Takum, Wukari and Zing) in particular and Taraba state in general
• Map the chains and in so doing, identify the various actors, production size, gender composition, their functions and existing linkages in these fisheries value chains;
• Make a preliminary analysis of the input-output structure and the distribution of margins and return on investment along the chain;
• Make a preliminary assessment of the power relations in the value chain and how these affect the distribution of margins along the chain;
• Identify significant trends and changes influencing the fisheries value chains;
• From the perspective of fish value chain livelihoods, analyze the constraints and opportunities in the value chain (from the points of initial production to sale); and
• Make recommendations on interventions and partnerships that have the potential to address major production efficiency constraints towards that can lead to significant expansion of livelihood opportunities in the value chains.

Methodology:

• The Consultant/firm will be expected to adopt the Porter’s value chain framework[4] for the study. The assessment should be conducted with key value chain players including input dealers (e.g., feed suppliers, other inputs for pond); producers (i.e., ponds and artisanal); traders (i.e., collectors, retailers, wholesalers); marketers (e.g., food vendors, supermarkets, consumers); and with special consideration given to influencing factors (e.g., policies, finance, climate).
• The VCA must also provide reliable background information and analysis related to the current conditions and realities in the artisanal and aquaculture value chains and overall fish value chain situation in Taraba state, with a specific focus on high value market systems.
• This exercise will necessitate a mixed methods design that utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data collection strategies for collecting value chain data. Oxfam expects that the Consultant will conduct focus groups with the following partners, stakeholders, and beneficiaries:
  • Influencers: Department of fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, development partners, financial institutions, fisheries associations/co-operatives, etc
  • Production segment of value chain: Input providers (e.g., feed mills, feed distributors, hatcheries and nurseries), artisanal fishermen, aquaculture producers, fish processors and buyers
  • Post Production segment: wholesalers, collectors, distributors
  • Retail end of value chain buyers: poultry farmers, food vendors, supermarkets, consumers
• While designing the study and creating the methodology for focus groups, the consultant should utilize primary data collected for that activity to inform the questions and develop the implementation plan for collecting this data. The consultant will also be expected to conduct secondary data analysis to extract relevant information about the fish value chain in Taraba

Structure of the Report:

• Executive summary: This is a summary of the assessment with special emphasis on the main findings, conclusions, learnings and recommendations. (1-2 pages maximum).
• Introduction; Brief description of the background, justification, objectives and scope of the study. (0.5-1 page maximum).
• Methodology: This includes a description of the methodological approach of the study, details of the sample, the methods and tools used for collecting the data.
• Analysis of the information gathered: This part presents the analyses that have been carried out from consulted information, secondary sources and the information generated from the primary data collected.
• Findings of the study: This includes a description of the relevant evidence for responding to specific questions about the study.
• Conclusions: This should give the summary of the findings and conclusion drawn.
• Recommendations: This part contains ordered, practical, applicable and prioritised proposals that enable Oxfam to know the value chain actors towards which to focus its program interventions
• Appendixes: These present the relevant information that has been consulted or generated for the study including list and contact details of key informants consulted. The ToR for this assignment should also be included:

[1] Kaplinsky, R. & Morris, M.: A Handbook for Value Chain Research. IDRC, 2000
[2] Oxfam defines youth as those individuals (both male and female) between the ages of 18 and 35
[3] Women as defined by Oxfam adult female who are above 35 years of age
[4] 9. Porter, M.: Competitive Advantage - Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. The Free Press, New York, 1985.