IMPACT OF COVID-19 INDUCED LOCKDOWN ON AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION IN MINNA, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

It is an established fact that the world has been ravage with corona virus pandemic, and expert have envisaged that the virus has come to stay. Thus, has affect virtually all facet of human endeavor especially the quality of food and meat we eat. Consequently, this study assessed the effects of the covid-19 induced lockdown on Aquaculture activities in Minna Niger State, Nigeria. Hence, a timeframe for this study is 12 months, (six months’ pre- imposition of the lockdown order and six months’ post-suspension of the lockdown order in Minna. The methods used in the data collection and data analyses techniques were both descriptive and inferential statistics. Whereas tables and charts used to present results. The t-test was used to determine the statistically significance difference in type of species cultured. The outcome of this study has shown that the outbreak of COVID-19 has impacted quaculture value chain in both pre and post COVID period. The result showed that, there is no statistically significant difference in the species of fish sold and as well as the impact on its value chain. Thus, 92% of the respondent sold hybrid fish and 8% of them sold clarias before COVID while 12% of the respondent sold clarias catfish with 88% sold hybrid after covid. The study therefore, recommend that incentives should be put in place by Government and multinational agencies like world bank, Agricultural Development Bank and other Stakeholders in agricultural sector in order to cushion the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic