Fish farmers asked to adopt scientific management practices for better harvest

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR, July 18: Arunachal Pradesh Veterinary & Animal Husbandry Minister Dr Mohesh Chai exhorted the fish farmers of the State to adopt scientific management practices for better harvest, besides encouraging them to remain in contact with the department for any technical guidance.

While paying a visit to Government Fish Farm at Emchi and two private fish farms of Tana Hari of Emchi and Tana Akin Tara of Midpu village, near here on Tuesday, the Minister gave away 30,000 fish seeds to the progressive fish farmers of Doimukh area under free seed distribution programme and also released 10,000 fish seeds into the paddy plots of Tana Hari under paddy-cum-fish culture programme.

Dr Chai was impressed with the activities and advised the fish farmers to maintain proper record of production of table fish and fish seed and the income earned thereof which will help in self assessing and analyzing the trend of growth in income which is directly proportional to the production and productivity of the farm.

“It will also help in planning future strategy and scaling up of activities in a planned way,” Dr Chai said.

Among those accompanying Dr Chai were the Secretary (Fisheries) Geyum Padu, Under Secretary (Planning & Development) C Ramesan and officers from the Directorate of Fisheries during the visit.

The Minister and his team also inspected the renovation works of farmers training center at Emchi, an official release informed here today. Dr Chai also visited the private fish hatcheries of two progressive pisciculturists of the state -- Tana Hari and Tana Akin Tara of Emchi & Midpu respectively. Impressed at the manner in which the progressive farmers have taken up fish farming in such a large scale, he said, “The youths of our State should visit such hatcheries and learn from the experienced pisciculturists as to how fish farming can be a big source of livelihood if taken up seriously," he requested.

"Fish farmers have a potential domestic market ready within our own State. The local fish farmers can definitley help in meeting this demand and thus be financially independent," he pointed out.

“There is a ban on the sale of formalin-mixed fish. We should focus on doubling our fish production to meet the demand of our own local market,” he added.