Cuttack: The state government has initiated measures for minnow (a small indigenous fish) farming in homestead and village ponds to fight malnutrition among rural children and women.
Sources said the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development department has inked a pact with Malaysia-based non-profit outfit WorldFish for minnow farming in villages.
According to sources, the fisheries department had launched a pilot project for minnow farming in four districts recently. “Around 645 kilogram minnow (mahurali) seedlings have been released into 422 ponds in four districts. The pisciculture project will be extended to other districts in future,” said a fisheries department official.
Fisheries department sources said minnow farming can check malnutrition in rural areas as people from low income group find it difficult to buy fish like rohu and carp. “People can simultaneously grow carp and minnow in their homestead and village ponds. We will encourage people to utilise abandoned ponds to grow fish,” said WorldFish regional representative Satish Das.
Earlier, the state had tied up with the Malaysia-based outfit to enhance fish production in Orissa. The fisheries department has been encouraging farmers to grow rohu, carp (bhakura) and mackerel (mirikali) for the past one year. “Farmers can produce at least five tonne fish annually from a pond spread over one hectare. We help people to collect quality seedlings,” claimed Das.
According to sources, senior officials of WorldFish have recently met Fisheries and Animal Resources Development minister Damodar Rout and secretary Vishal Gagan at the Secretariat here and worked out modalities to enhance fish production.
“The state government has laid emphasis on supplying quality fries to raise fish output through public-private-partnership mode,” Das said.
Officials of the Malaysian firm have claimed they would soon encourage farmers to grow fish inside large cages. “People can instalil large cages in water bodies and grow fish using modern fertilization technology,” Das added.
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