BHUBANESWAR: With a goal of attaining self-sufficiency in fresh water fish production by ensuring availability of quality seeds to fish farmers, the State Government is set to promote establishment of hatcheries across districts.
The Department for Fisheries and Animal Resources Development has proposed to include the portable FRP carp hatchery technology developed by Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), Bhubaneswar in the State subsidy scheme, which will drive entrepreneurship in the field as well as enhance seed production in a big way.
The technology developed by CIFA has proven to be a huge success in quality seed production and now adopted by farmers in more than 26 States. Over 300 hatchery units have been established in the country, including 30 in Odisha as of now and it has covered diverse agro-climate settings from coastal plains, rainfed regions, islands and hills.
Easy to install and operate, the portable hatchery produces 1.0-1.2 million seeds of carp (locally known as Rohu, Bhakura, Mirikal species). The hatchery has a life-span of 10-15 years and in a single cycle spanning three months, a farmer can earn between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh.
The CIFA has pressed for its wider use in Odisha, which is almost completely dependent on West Bengal for its seed requirement. The State has potential for establishment of hatcheries in every block. One hatchery can serve at least 50-70 acre per cycle and thus offers immense entrepreneurship and employment generation opportunities.
A four-day training programme organised by CIFA here commenced on Tuesday on its campus with 60 participants including farmers, Government officials, specialists and teachers from allied institutions from 11 States attending it. The programme, inaugurated by Science and Technology Minister Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi, aims at providing advanced knowledge and skill upgradation in connection with use of the technology.
Among others principal, Central Institute of Plastics engineering and Technology (CIPET) Dr PSG Krishnan, Director, CIFA Dr P Jayshankar and project leader Dr BC Mohapatra were present.