NALBARI, July 11 - Devajit Barman, a progressive fish farmer of Nalbari district who changed the Ghoga beel scenario, once infamous as a mass grave of ULFA, to a spot of blue revolution, has finally got the recognition of his works at the national level.
The Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) of Bhubaneswar under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) selected Devajit as the �Best Fish Farmer of the State�. He was given the award at a function held on the occasion of National Fish Farmers� Day at Bhubaneswar on July 10. The recognition of youth from Nalbari, Devajit Barman, at the national level has brought laurels to the district.
It may be mentioned here that Barman, a young fish farmer from Nankar Bhaira village in Nalbari district, has been engaged in the promotion of fish sector for the last two decades. After completing his graduation in the Commerce stream, he didn�t run after a government job. Devajit developed his traditional pond for pisciculture and developed it step by step to the present state. Besides fish production, Devajit has been producing spawn of different varieties in his hatchery. Last year, he produced 60 crore seeds of a new high-yielding varieties of fish Jayanti rohu at his hatchery.
While the Jayanti rohu is cultured at various places of the State, the spawn production of this new fish variety exclusively began at the fish farm of Devajit Barman of Nankar Bhaira in Nalbari district and a Tata-sponsored agency in upper Assam. Meanwhile, the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) of Bhubaneswar under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has taken an initiative to produce Jayanti rohu in the State.
Moreover, the CIFA has also taken an initiative to produce seeds of the high-yielding Jayanti rohu in the State. In order to meet the increasing demand of fish in the State, the CIFA is also encouraging farmers to culture Jayanti rohu, which records double growth than the local variety of rohu. The CIFA has also selected the fish farm of Devajit Barman as the breeding ground of Jayanti rohu.
When this correspondent recently visited the breeding farm of Devajit Barman, he found that the promising fish farmer had achieved more than 50 per cent growth than the local variety rohu. Devajit stated that he had started seed production in his hatchery two years back, the first time in the State. If the seeds of this variety become available locally, then it will increase the culture of Jayanti rohu in the State.
He further said that the fish farmers from various parts of the State including Mangaldai, Goalpara, North Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Jorhat, Barpeta have collected spawn from his farm. While the Jayanti rohu is cultured at various places of the State, the new variety of Hungarian carp is exclusively cultured at the fish farm of Devajit Barman. Devajit brought the spawn of the Hungarian carp with the help of a scientist of the Gauhati University. A number of youths of Devajit�s locality are following in his footsteps and getting benefits. Devajit also produced more than 60 crore spawn of other local fish varieties this season.
