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An Analysis of Fish and Fishery Products Consumption Expenditure of the Thai Households
Thesis Abstract:
The fisheries industry has become one of Thailand’s important sectors in recent years as it has contributed to the country’s revenues from export income and foreign exchange earnings. The study analyzed consumption patterns of fish and fishery products of Thai households using household survey data of the National Statistics Office. Survey samples of 34,785 households were used in the study. Ordinary least squares technique was used in estimating parameters of the Engel’s expenditure model.
Results indicated that households in northeast Thailand spent the highest share for fish expenditure to food expenditure, followed by households in the country’s south, north, center, and Bangkok. The share of fish expenditure to food expenditure for rural household was 11 percent while that of urban households was 6 percent. When classifying some fish and fishery products into three groups; namely, freshwater fish, seafood, and fishery products, the econometric results indicated that household income has negative effect while household size has positive effect for all three groups of consumption expenditure. Male household heads tend to spend more for freshwater fish and seafood than female household heads. Household heads who are older spend for those three product groups than the younger household heads. Loweducated household heads tend to spend more for freshwater fish and fishery products.
The income elasticity by country average for freshwater fish, seafood, and fishery products was -0.63, 0.80, and -2.03, respectively. In disaggregate group, it was found that marine fish was inferior good as the income elasticity was negative. The income elasticities of shrimp, squid, and crab were positive and elastic, ranging from 2.117 to 3.357, showing that these three kinds of seafood are luxury goods.
The study suggested that since freshwater fish is a main source of protein for relative low-income group, a policy for promoting freshwater fish culture as well as improving the fish supply from natural water would benefit the poor. An increase in purchasing power of the high-income consumer tends to increase the consumption of seafoods, mainly shrimp, crab, and squid. The brackish water fish culture is needed to be promoted in order to accelerate the supply growth for catching up the rising consumption demand.