Agriculture News: In Chhattisgarh, many ambitious schemes are being run by the Fisheries Department to increase the income of farmers and encourage them towards agriculture as well as fish farming. Through these schemes, not only fish farming is being promoted in traditional ponds, but modern technology and business models are also being made available to the farmers.
Best scheme for farmers
Assistant Director of Chhattisgarh Fisheries Department, M.K. Giving information, Patle said that if a farmer wants to do fish farming, he can take advantage of the government schemes and construct a pond in his own land. For this, the department has fixed a unit cost of Rs 7 lakh per hectare. Under this scheme, there is a provision to give 40 percent subsidy to general category farmers, while 60 percent subsidy to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and women farmers.
large scale fish farming
He told that under this scheme, beneficiaries can do fish farming on a large scale by constructing ponds ranging from 0.4 hectare to 2 hectare. At the same time, there is an option for those farmers who have less land available. Such farmers can construct ponds at a unit cost of Rs 4 lakh per hectare, in which 40 and 60 percent subsidy is given according to the category.
If a farmer wants to do fish seed production instead of direct fish farming, then he can do fish seed culture by making a nursery pond in his small land. Under this scheme also, the construction cost is fixed at Rs 7 lakh per hectare, in which the general category gets 40 percent grant and ST, SC and women farmers get 60 percent grant. In all these schemes, it is mandatory to have land in the name of the beneficiary.
Apart from this, Pond Liner Scheme is also being run by the department for more production and better profits. Under this scheme, a farmer can construct a pond in 0.01 hectare of his land, covering it with polythene liner, along with building a store room and pump house. This entire system costs about Rs 14 lakh, in which 40 percent grant is given to the general category and 60 percent grant is given to ST, SC and women farmers.
According to the climate of Chhattisgarh, Mrigal Carp, Rohu, Katla and Pangasius are considered very suitable for fish farming. Especially Pangasius fish is proving beneficial for the farmers, because it becomes salable in just 6 months. During this period, its weight reaches from one and a half kilos to one kilo, due to which the farmer starts getting profits within six months. According to estimates, a profit of at least Rs 60 thousand can be made from Pangasius fish farming in one acre.
Whereas Mrigal Carp, Rohu and Catla take a little more time to reach marketable size, but their market demand remains stable. Due to these schemes in rural areas, the inclination of farmers is rapidly increasing towards fish farming, which is also creating new employment opportunities and strengthening the village economy.
