An analysis of the consumer market for carp and carp products in Iran

In iran, carp is widely sold and used in its fresh, although a range ofadded value products may also be observed. the common carp and the threechinese species are often reared in polyculture ponds. since, the 1970s carpfarming has spread along the caspian sea coasts, followed by other provinces, andfarmed production reached a peak in 2004 with production of more than 60,000tonnes. rapid expansion of carp cultivation has been followed by marketingproblems in recent years. consumer and market-related data to develop effectivemarketing strategies are essential to the growth of the carp farming industry iniran. a questionnaire was prepared concerning personal information of respondentsand their preferences for carp consumption. a face to face interviewwas carried out with 357 individuals randomly selected in tehran province. due tothe comparatively small sample size of interviews, to obtain qualitative data,complementary study was also conducted using an unstructured questionnaire.results showed younger group preferred ready meal and demanded for a variety ofproducts. it was found, to increase carp consumption a rise in income and declinein price of carp products will affect more older groups, larger family size andeducated people. the study also showed a significant difference between locationsand consumption behaviour (which related to socioeconomic, different aspectssuch as income, educational level, job and family status) this difference may beexpected to affect seasonality of consumption. it seems increases a variety ofproduct in markets, a rise in income and price decline may increase all year roundfish consumption.