Assessing Transportation Logistics for White Shrimp (Nematopalaemon hastatus) Marketing Using ArcGIS Network Analysis

This study assessed transportation logistics for prospective consumers and marketers of white shrimp ( Nematopalaemon hastatus ) within a 500 km buffer to processing and marketing areas in Ondo State, Nigeria using ArcGIS network analyst tool. The result indicated that shorter routes between the towns and major shrimp market at Igbokoda provided buyers with a lower budget for logistics and product cost compared with higher budget computed for longer routes between the towns and Ugbonla waterside, Nigeria. However, due to lower price of smoked shrimp at processing areas, shrimp product would get to the towns/cities within the buffer per kilogramme at a lower cost compared to products directly sourced from marketing areas (Igbokoda). Thus a typical consumer/marketer within the buffer was expected to budget an average of $42-$110 ( 12,810- 35,500) and $59-$123 ( 17,995- 37,515) for 10.42kg of smoked shrimp from processing areas in a typical peak and off-peak month respectively. In the alternative, they are expected to budget an average of $50-$110 ( 15,250- 33,550) and $60-$125 ( 18,300- 38,125) to source same quantity of the species from Igbokoda in a typical peak and off-peak month respectively. Developing a shrimp market at Ugbonla waterside, Nigeria would open the community for more economic development and attraction due to easy accessibility to shrimping and processing areas. Therefore, prospective shrimp marketers and consumers within the 500km buffer who are interested in accessing this highly nutritional species and other aquatic products from the processing and marketing areascould be guided by this information for effective trade and marketing.