GUWAHATI, Jan 27 � The initiatives undertaken by the Assam Government under the World Bank-financed Assam Agricultural Competitiveness Project (AACP), are expected to benefit the fish farmers of the State in the way of exposure to the latest technical knowhow in fish production.
The Directorate of Fisheries is planning to send three hundred fish farmers for exposure visits to the leading fish producing states like Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
The first batch of progressive fish farmers has already left for Kolkata to gather the technical knowhow of the fish farmers of West Bengal under additional financing of AACP. The Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Kolkata Centre, will extend the necessary guidance to the farmers.
It needs to be mentioned here that the major objectives of AACP are to stimulate growth of Assam�s agrarian economy with the participation of the rural landless, small and marginal landholders and poor fishing communities including women, to increase productivity of crops and fish, ensure market access to participating farmers, community and groups, advocate predominantly pro-poor activities in the project area by adopting a participatory planning and implementation strategy and capacity building of the participating departments of Government of Assam and other stakeholders.
A major problem that fish farmers of the State have to face is related to quality fish seed production. Causing deterioration in the seed quality are - breeding of related fish species which triggers deterioration in the seed of offspring, mixed spawning of fish that is practised by most seed producers and which experts, say if continued will make conservation of the native fish species extremely difficult as the practice results in production of undesirable hybrids.
