Description

Abstract: Tilapia culture was initiated in Honduras in the late 1970’s. In the last decade, tilapia

production in Honduras has grown rapidly because of market expansion for fresh tilapia fillets in the United States. Domestic markets would provide stability by offering additional market alternatives hence reducing risks associated with one target market. A comprehensive study was designed to characterize existing supermarket channels for tilapia in Honduras and to identify strategies to further develop supermarket outlets in Honduras for farm-raised tilapia. A survey instrument was designed to elicit information on the types of fish and seafood sold, prices, availability of tilapia, and supermarket buyers’ attitudes towards a variety of attributes of tilapia. The survey showed that tilapia is a well-known product in Honduran supermarkets. Overall, 50% of supermarket managers responded that they were either somewhat or very likely to sell tilapia in the next year. However, the lack of demand, freshness, and seasonal availability were mentioned as primary reasons for not selling or having stopped selling the product. These results suggest that, if tilapia farmers can combine adequate marketing strategies such as intense advertisement campaigns with availability of high quality tilapia, it maybe possible to further develop the domestic market for tilapia in Honduras.