The small pelagic species are very important in ensuring household food security and improving the nutrition status of the low income households, and providing business opportunities to thousands of people from rural communities. Usipa (Engraulicyprissardella) and Kapenta (Limnothris samiodon) are some of the small pelagic species that are produced and marketed in large quantities domestically in Malawi and Zambia respectively. The aim of this study was to conduct a value chain analysis of Usipa andKapenta. Marketing margins of Usipa were calculated for the various actors and the results showed that Fishers had the highest marketing margins of MK 1753.4, while the processors, the majority of whom were women, were found to have negative net marketing margins of MK 437.2. For Kapenta, it was found that all the actors had a positive net marketing margin, with the highest net marketing margin being observed amongst the wholesalers (K 6.12) and fishers (K 6.05) and the lowest net marketing margin wasobserved among the retailers (K 0.8). The study recommends the development and/or facilitation of the adoption of appropriate technologies that will help reduce post-harvest fish losses especially among the processors. The study recommended that it is also important to empower the women traders, by among others, increasing their access to financial resources and mainstreaming gender in fisheries and aquaculture related policies.
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