Area under fish farming up by 1,942 acres: Khudian
Chandigarh, July 9
Fish farming in the state has increased by 1,942 acres during 2023-24, claimed Punjab Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian. The area has increased from 42,031 acres to 43,973 acres in this period, he said.
Giving credit for this achievement to the fish farmers, Khudian extended his greetings to all the fish & shrimp farmers of state on the eve of National Fish Farmers’ Day. He exhorted farmers to adopt fish farming vowing support from the state government. This is as an auxiliary occupation to increase income, he added.
He further said that the state government has been providing quality fish seed from 16 government fish seed farms at subsidised rates to the fish farmers. “For the convenience of the shrimp farmers, services are being provided at the Demonstration Farm-cum-Training Centre located at village Ena Khera in Muktsar”, he added.
The government has been encouraging shrimp farming in saline affected south-western districts of the state. The farmers are practicing shrimp farming in more than 1315 acres area, Khudian said.
The minister added that 40 per cent to 60 per cent subsidy is being provided by the state government to farmers to adopt various projects such as fish and shrimp ponds, purchase of fish transport vehicles, fish kiosks/shops, cold storage plants, fish feed mills and ornamental fish units. The government has also provided self-employment to 450 beneficiaries by disbursing a subsidy of Rs 25 crore, he claimed.
National Fish Farmers’ day is observed in memory of renowned scientists Dr Hiralal Chaudhary and Dr KH Alikunhi. They brought a revolution in the field of fisheries in India by carrying out induced breeding of carp fish for the first time in the country on July 10, 1957.
