BAGIBARI, June 27 � Fish like common carp do not fetch good market price and hence this village called Bagibari in Kamrup Metro has embarked on an ambitious mission of replacing common carp and the rest of the bottom dweller fish with fresh water prawn which at present is the highest �profit earning avenue.
Under the Rural Innovation Fund (RIF) of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Assam Regional Office, 15 fish farmers in the initial stage of the project would take up prawn farming. This project of replacing bottom dweller fish with fresh water prawn is first of its kind in the State and the upbeat fish farmers here are confident of success.
The project is implemented by Kalong Kapili, a group of local youths in association with the Department of Fisheries, Government of Assam.
It needs to be mentioned here that prawns have high demand in the market of Assam and fetch good price.
NABARD Deputy General Manager (Tech.Fisheries) DV Nakhwa who was present today at the prawn seed and feed distribution function said that the water bodies in the State were yet to be fully exploited for boosting pisciculture and called upon the fish farmers to adopt scientific methods to increase their production and income.
Nakhwa said that in view of the growing problem of unemployment, NABARD was concentrating on entrepreneurship and skill development through its various projects like Rural Entrepreneur Development Programme, Skill Development Programme and Rural Innovation Fund. Under the Rural Innovation Fund, NABARD is targeting to cover 17 districts this year.
On the other hand, an official of the department of fisheries informed that with improved techniques now it has become possible to rear prawn for commercial purpose in places located away from the sea.
The stocking density of prawn is 50,000 numbers per hectare and total yield is 2500 kg per hectare. On the other hand, the stocking density of bottom dweller fish is 1800 numbers and the yield is 1350 kg per hectare.
A fish farmer of the area, Dandeswar Talukdar said that he was hopeful of the project as the initial results were very encouraging. He has adopted scientific method for increasing production of fish in his eight bigha paddy field.
