September 12, 2018
Bangla targets 18.5 lakh tonnes of fish production
Bangla, which is aspiring to be self-reliant for its fish requirements, is aiming for the production of 18.5 lakh metric tonnes this year, said the State Fisheries Minister recently at a Fisheries Conclave organised by CII. This would eliminate the deficit and the resultant need for importing from other States.
Last year, the production was about 17.4 lakh metric tonnes, so 18.5 is quite an achievable target, feels the minister.
Demand for fishes has been growing and proportionately, the production target is being increased. Elaborating on the State’s potentiality of aquafarming, the minister said it has plenty of water bodies, about eight to ten of what the leading fish producing State Andhra Pradesh has.
The State Government is focusing on maximisation of fish production through the intervention of technologies, adding waterbodies under aquafarming, scientific feeding and improved managerial practices.
Currently, Bangla accounts for around 40 per cent of the country’s fish seed production and it is growing exponentially.
Shrimp exports from the State are to the tune of 70,000 tonnes, earning about Rs 8,000 crore per annum. However, according to the minister at the summit, shrimp farming is utilises only 15 per cent of brackish water resource of the State; hence this has a lot of potential for expansion too.
Source: Millennium Post
