PALAKKAD: To meet the shortage of fish seeds, the Fisheries Department has entrusted ADAK (Agency for Development of Aquaculture, Kerala) with procuring fingerlings from rearing farmers and hatchery owners in Kerala.
In Palakkad district alone, while the demand was 2.5 crore, the production was only 73 lakh fisherlings. With the capacity of the Malampuzha farm was 1.5 crore, meant that only 50 per cent of production was being met. In the Malampuzha fish farm, monsoon breeding is undertaken from June to September in the Katla, Rohu, Mrigal and Grass Carp varieties. In winter, from October to January , fish varieties of common carp and koi carp are undertaken.
The mrigal and common carp (cyprinus carp) varieties are sold for `35 for every 100 numbers, grass carp costs `75 for 100 numbers and Lebio `25 for 100 numbers. Both Katla and Rohu were sold for `50 per 100 numbers, said Deputy Director of Fisheries, Malampuzha, S Mahesh.
Under the scheme, inland fish production is aimed to be increased to 3 lakh tonnes in three years up to March 31, 2015.
The Matsya Samrudhi ScThe total outlay for the Matsya Samrudhi Scheme is `194.17 crore of which `55.30 crore will be given as subsidy.