Himachal supplies rainbow trout ova to Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal

SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh has emerged as one of the leading exporters of high-quality rainbow trout eyed ova, supplying to other hill states-Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Under several schemes, trout hatchery farmers have supplied 9.05 lakh rainbow trout eyed ova to Uttarakhand alone, an official statement said on Sunday.

Eyed ova means a stage in developing eggs of rainbow trout when the embryo shows eyes as dark spots. This year the Department of Fisheries has produced 12.60 lakh rainbow trout eyed ova and 1.74 lakh brown trout eyed ova from its eight government-run farms, located in Patlikuhal and Hamni in Kullu district, at Barot in Mandi and Thalla, Holi, and Bhandal in Chamba district.

With breeding still in progress, the total eyed ova production is expected to surpass 20 lakh, a significant increase from last year's 15.79 lakh in the government sector. Additionally, the private sector is expected to contribute an equivalent volume, with nine functional hatcheries in Kullu, Mandi, and Sirmour districts collectively targeting a production of 20 lakh eyed ova.

Overall, the trout production in the state, which stood at 1,402 metric tonnes in 2023-24, is projected to reach 1,600 metric tonnes in 2024-25. The department has been supporting farmers in Kullu to supply eyed ova to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Progressive farmers such as Sher Singh of Swad village in Mandi district, Rajeev Jaswal of Shanan village in Joginder Nagar in Mandi district, and Sarla Negi of Fojal village in Kullu district have contributed significantly.

To further boost rainbow trout production in the state's cold waters, the Fisheries Department has established a cold-water recirculating aquaculture system unit at the trout farm in Patlikuhal. (IANS)

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