No abstract

Matrix ranking is an important PRA tool to assess and study the preferences of farmers for a particular technology over others, with respect to crop or animal based technologies. The preferences and criteria for the same are also studied in the process. The following study gives a first-hand idea of farmers' relative preferences for different varieties of rice, mustard, tomato, chilli, garden pea, fish and lac hosts. The results of the matrix ranking for different varieties of rice revealed that, the variety "Arize 6444" was the most preferred one followed by "Abhishek". "Pusa Mahak" was the leading variety of mustard followed by Pusa Bold. Swarna Sampada is more preferred tomato variety among the farmers. Among fish, "Rohu" was widely preferred by the respondents due to its higher yield, more market demand, resistance to water quality and higher market price.

The Indian State of Goa has a coastal length of 104 Kms and the State contributes 1.85% to the marine fish production of the country. A study was conducted to assess the market efficiency indicators such as Gross Marketing Margin, Percentage Share of Fisherman in the Consumers Rupee (PSFCR) and the Coefficient of variation. The study revealed that high value fishes such as cobia, silver Whiting, seer fishes, prawns and milk shark recorded a comparatively higher price spread. Varieties which recorded higher PSFCR were speckled prawn (72.86%), cobia (70.31%), seerfish (69.98%), Brown shrimps or ginga prawns (69.43%), pony fish (67.58%) and milk shark (65.61%). At the point of first sales, high value fishes such as cobia, seerfishes, prawns and silver biddy had a co-efficient of variation of less than 10% indicating a higher price stability. High value fishes such as ribbon fishes, seerfishes, cobia, indian white prawn, barracudas, brown prawns, speckled prawns, kadal shrimps and half beaks were among the list of fishes which recorded a low co-efficient of variation of less than 10% at the point of last sales.

Hook and line fishing has been used for the last two decades along the Vizhinjam Coast targeting mainly tunas especially bullet tuna. The fishing methodology is in use for more than several decades, but systematic study in relation to the modifications in fishing practice and its impact on the improvement in catch and income generation of fishermen has not yet been done. This paper aims to bring out the modifications in the gear/ craft and area of operation of line fishery and its impact on the income generation of fishers in the Vizhinjam Coast.