Gurugram first in state to promote pearl, shrimp farming

Sumedha Sharma

Gurugram has become the first district in Haryana to start pearl farming. With the support of local Fisheries Department officials, an engineer, Vinod Yadav, has transformed his house backyard into a pond for pearl cultivation. He has sold his first consignment of cultivated pearls in Surat. 

Vinod and his uncle Suresh, both from Jamalpur village on the Pataudi road in Gurugram, have been earning more than Rs 4 lakh per year since 2016 from pearl farming on the 20x20 backyard. 

“The duo wanted to utilise space but did not have much money. So, we suggested them to try their hands at pearl farming. It is the first of its kind experiment where besides financial assistance we are also providing them technical knowhow, training and raw material. Soon, the duo managed to cultivate pearls, which are being sold. After their success we are being approached by people willing to take up pearl farming. Due to good results, other districts are also working in this direction. People willing to take up pearl farming will be given 50 per cent subsidy,” says District Fisheries Officer Dharmender Singh.

Besides promoting pearl farming, the department is also providing assistance in setting up shrimp farms in areas around Sohna in Gurugram to cash in on otherwise non-usable saline groundwater.

“The demand for shrimps is increasing day-by-day owing to multi-cuisine culture in Delhi and the NCR. Cultivation of shrimps has been very successful in other areas and thus we are promoting it in areas that have saline water not fit for drinking. The units for shrimp cultivation are bigger and are set up at a cost of Rs 24 lakh. We provide 50 per cent subsidy for it,” adds Dharmender.

“When I started shrimp cultivation I was not too sure of its success. But I went ahead with it as the department provided me financial support and technical knowhow. After three months, I had my first crop of shrimps and it fetched me unexpected profits. Restaurants are dependent on either canned shrimps or shrimps imported from other states or countries. Haryana shrimps are much cheaper and fresh and that is what market demands. Other people have also set up such farms,” says Mukesh Yadav, owner of district’s first shrimp farm at Khatrika village in Sohna.