Vet varsity breeds pangas catfish in state

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 12

The Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, achieved another milestone of breeding pangas catfish successfully in Punjab.

Dr Meera D Ansal, Head Department of Aquaculture said, “Pangas is an exotic fish without any intramuscular spines having high demand among Punjabis. It is a cold sensitive species, not able to survive below 20 degree Celcius during winters. Hence, it is being reared in coastal states, where the temperature rarely falls to critical levels. At present, iced pangas is transported from Andhra Pradesh to almost all northern states. It sells like a hot cake in the state after covering a distance of about 1,900 km. It is a potential diversification species for enhancing aquaculture productivity (three times), besides doubling farmer’s income.”

The GADVASU has already standardised pangas culture technology with an average productivity of 17 tons, per hectare and net income of over Rs 5 lakh in just 6 months. Climate of Punjab is suitable for pangas culture for a period of 7-8 months from March to November. The major bottle neck in promoting pangas culture in northern states is non-availability of seed. As pangas breeds after attaining three years of age, hatcheries for seed production are developed in regions having no winter season.

The GADVASU not only succeeded in developing four years+ brood stock of pangas through technological interventions, including overwintering under poly house conditions, but also succeeded in breeding the fish in Punjab through induced breeding technology, with progressive fish farmer, Ranjodh Singh of Nanokey village, Patiala.

It is for the first time that breeding of pangas has been successful in non-coastal northern region of the country.

Dr SN Dutta, who was involved in culture and breeding of pangas catfish said, “Breakthrough has opened new window of possibility of developing pangascatfish hatcheries in Punjab and availability of seed within the state will promote pangas catfish culture on commercial scale.”

Dr Meera informed that pangas catfish is an excellent species for developing value added products without much processing hassles and hence, farmers are also motivated to take up pangas catfish culture as a cluster activity, associated with small scale processing units at farmer level.