USAGE AND CHALLENGES OF LIVE MAGGOT AS FISH FOOD AMONG FISH FARMERS IN IBI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, TARABA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The usage and challenges of live maggot as fish food among fish farmers in Ibi Local Government area; Taraba State, Nigeria was investigated. Sixty (60) fish farmers were randomly selected from four Districts to obtain a total sample size of two hundred and twenty (240) respondents. Questionnaire and scheduled interview approach were used to obtain information from the respondents. Data obtained were analyzed through descriptive statistics such as (frequency and
percentage) while inferential statistics used was Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) at P<0.05. Majority (80.4%) of the fish farmers were aware of maggot usage as fish food, 45.0% were aware that live maggot is rich in nutrient compared to other conventional food, fish fed with live maggot grow faster (53.8%). Only 23.3% of the respondents fed their fish with live maggot and 58.3% of the fish farmers were willing to feed their fish with live maggot. The major challenges on use of maggot as fish food; inability to get enough quantity to buy (78.3%), dead maggot on water attract
pathogenic organisms (75.0%), there is a significant relationship between awareness on live maggot as fish food and usage among the fish farmers (r=.341, n=240, p (.000) <.05). It was recommended that fish farmers should be encouraged to practice intensive system of fish cum poultry to generate enough quantity of maggot as feed to reduce the cost of fish production.