Thesis (BS Agribusiness Economics) -- University of the Philippines Mindanao, 2023

The leading tilapia producers in the Philippines are from Luzon, but as land becomes more scarce, particularly in Luzon, there is a growing need to further understand brackish water tilapia production in Visayan and Mindanao. This study aimed to also determine the factors affecting productivity and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 307 brackish water tilapia growers from Bohol, Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Negros Occidental, Surigao del Sur, and Zamboanga del Norte from July 2021 until September 2022. Ordinary least squares (OLS) and quantile regression were used to estimate the Cobb-Douglas production function of both productivity and FCR. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and Student’s t-test were also used to analyze additional information needed to explain and supplement the information provided. The results indicate that the factors affecting productivity are fingerlings, feed, farm size, farm culture, FCR, civil status, sex assigned at birth, experience, education and household size. On the other hand, the factors affecting FCR are types of feed and feeding method. The study suggests farmers to use the optimal amount of fingerlings while utilizing more feed such as feed in dough form. However, there is still a need to explore other feeding methods other than those identified in the study. The study also emphasized the role of the government to strengthen extension services and provide access to high-quality inputs such as fingerlings and feed.