Culture Practices and Value Chain Analysis of Mud Crab in Sta. Teresita, Cagayan, Philippines

Abstract

The municipality of Sta. Teresita has extensive brackish water and mangrove areas which inhabit the high- valued commodity in the market which is the mud crab. But the baseline data regarding the culture practices and value chain analysis of mud crab is still lacking in the municipality. This research was conducted to assessed the practices and techniques in culturing of mud crab and to analyze its value chain in Sta. Teresita, Cagayan. Data are gathered using questionnaires and mud crab farmers and value chain actors are interviewed. The results shows that most of the mud crab farmers are male while most of the value chain actors are female. The culture system utilize is pond culture for grow-out and fattening and is purposely used for polyculture, monoculture and box culture of mud crab. Mud crab are cultured from ≥ 3 to ≤6 months and most of the mud crab growers are not applying acclimatization but they are providing shelters in their ponds to minimize cannibalism. Apparently, the constraints that hinder the sustainability of mud crab are inconsistent supply of quality crab seeds, lack of professional knowledge in crab farming, flooding, and intra-species cannibalism. The key stakeholders involved in the value chain are the crab farmer, fattener, dealer, retailer, peddler and consumer and 6 chains are formed in terms of the distribution pattern of mud crab. Only live mud crabs are being transported and sold to the markets. The preferences in buying mud crab may vary for body size, body weight, intactness of limbs, gender, gonad maturity, and odor. As crabs moved through the chain their value increased based on its grade or weight. Mud crab weighed >200 grams are considered as marketable size and it is graded as small and mud crab weighed >350 grams are graded as medium and mud crab weighed >500 grams are graded as large. Seemingly, the selling of mud crab is divided in terms of trading season (off and peak season). The value chain actors stated that crabs during peak season (April- Lenten Season and December- Christmas season) are more expensive compared to off-season.