Fish farming profitable under crop diversification: Ranike

Tribune News Service 

Ludhiana, April 24 

The first ever two-day Punjab Fish Mela-2016 kicked off at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) here today. It was inaugurated by Gulzar Singh Ranike, Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Dairy, SC/BC Welfare.

Addressing the gathering, Ranike said farmers of Punjab should leave the wheat-paddy cropping cycle and join crop diversification so that the depleting underground water table was checked. 

Ranike added that farmers of Punjab were going through a rough patch because of the increased cost of agricultural inputs and decreasing income. He said at present, agriculture was not a profitable venture and that is why farmers should indulge into crop diversification and adopt subsidiary occupations. The minister said fish farming was a profitable venture and it was being adopted fast across the globe.

Ranike called upon Punjabi youth to play an important role in ushering an era of blue revolution in the state. He said in Punjab, around 38,000 acres of land was under fish farming and it was a matter of great pride that the state ranks number one in terms of fish production in the country. The minister said the average fish production per hectare per year of our country was three tonnes, whereas in Punjab its 6.5 tonnes alone. He added that while keeping in mind the benefits of fish farming, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had visited China some time back so that their fish farming techniques could be implemented in our state.

The minister further said for giving a boost to fish farming in Punjab, the state government was giving 90 per cent subsidy and with a cost of Rs 25 crore, 14 fish seed farms in 13 districts had been upgraded, which were earlier in a pitiable condition. He said the state government had also decided to set up these farms in other districts. He added for proper marketing, a fish market had been established that would benefit blue revolution in a big way. Ranike added that similar fish markets were also being established in Amritsar and Bathinda.

Experts from different parts of the country are providing valuable information about fish farming during the two-day mela.

Prominent among those present on the occasion included Additional Chief Secretary Mandeep Singh Sandhu, GADVASU Vice-Chancellor Amarjit Singh Nanda, Director (Fisheries) Madan Mohan, Director (Animal Husbandry) HS Sandha, Director (Dairy Development) Inderjit Singh, ICAR’s Dr J K Jaina and Zila Parishad chairman Bhag Singh Maangarh among others. 

‘Punjab farmers should adopt subsidiary occupations’