Not so long ago, aqua farmers involved in inland fish farming in Uttar Pradesh had to bring fish seeds (small fishes that grow to become full sized) from other states but now several such farmers have developed their own hatcheries and are reaping profits too.
Sanjay Srivastava, a fish farmer from Barohiya village, is one such farmer. “Earlier, we used to get the fish seeds from other states but now we have developed our own hatchery which is used for our yield and we supply it to other cultivators as well,” Srivastava, who lives in Mithaura block in Maharajganj district, told Gaon Connection.
“In the last few years, I have witnessed a great surge in rural people taking up this occupation. Many of my younger acquaintances have started off well in this field [inland fish farming]. Even during the COVID19 lockdown when all other cultivators were reeling under losses, this business remained unaffected,” the 55-year-old said.
Farmers involved in fish rearing in Uttar Pradesh have been successful in fish cultivation due to significant support from the state government’s Fisheries Department.
Recognising the production of 746,000 metric tonnes of inland fishes in the state in the year 2020-2021, the central government has also awarded the state’s Fisheries Department with a cash prize worth Rs 100,000 and declared Uttar Pradesh to be the best state in terms of inland fish production. In 2019-2020, India’s total inland fish production was 10.43 million metric tonnes.
Also Read: They lost their land and homes to Sardar Sarovar Dam, and now illegal fishing adds to their woes
According to SK Singh, director of the Fisheries Department, efforts are underway to increase the incomes of the fish cultivators. “In the year 2020-21, the fund allocation for the welfare schemes of the Fisheries Department was Rs 105.24 crores (Rs 1,052 million) which has been increased to Rs 271.03 crores (Rs 2,710 million) in the year 2021-22,” Singh told Gaon Connection.
“Every year, there is an increase of 6.28 per cent in the production of fish seeds which are being supplied to other states as well,” he added.
PM Matsya Sampada Yojana been a booster
The central government’s welfare scheme for financially weak fish cultivators has proven to be a shot in the arm in the inland fisheries sector in the state.
Under this scheme, poor cultivators are provided 40 per cent of the input cost of setting up an inland fishery unit. The amount is paid via direct beneficiaries transfer (DBT) mechanism.
Also Read: Endangered fishing cat finally ‘captured’ on camera at Panna Tiger Reserve
The share of government expenses for scheduled castes and women beneficiaries is 60 per cent. The remaining amount of the input cost is arranged by banking institutions as loans that can be repaid after the harvest.
A total of 2,881 underprivileged fish cultivators have been provided housing as well and under the ambit of Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme, 7,883 fish rearers have been issued loans worth Rs 697.2 million.
Rajnish Kumar, a fish cultivator from Ghaziabad, told Gaon Connection that he started off his fishery unit in 2018 on about two hectares of land.
“But with support from the state government’s Fisheries Department, I have expanded my business on sau ekad (100 acres, almost 2o hectares) of ponds. I have received 50 acres of land from the government on lease and this has really helped me in expanding my business,” the 37-year-old farmer added.
Also Read: Fish feed made from litchi seeds to cut costs for the fish farmer by 25%
He also informed that the business is really lucrative for him.
“Usually, fish traders come to me and buy my yield. If they don’t, I go to nearby markets in Noida (25 kilometers away) and easily sell the fish,” Kumar said.
Eastern Uttar Pradesh registers maximum production
According to the data provided by the Department of Fisheries, eastern districts of the state have recorded a whooping 47 per cent of the total production of inland fishes in 2020-21.
The other regions that shared the production are central (21 per cent), western (18 per cent) and southern region of Bundelkhand, which shared the border with Madhya Pradesh, contributed 14 per cent of the total production. The total production in the state has been 746,000 metric tonnes.
Also Read: An integrated farming model promises monthly earning of Rs 25,000 from an acre of land
Also, according to the department, the presence of brackish water in western districts like Mathura and Aligarh, prawns are being cultivated there as well.
