BHUBANESWAR: The state government has planned to create 400 hectares of new water area in private land this year. The government has also made a provision to provide 50 per cent subsidy assistance to fish farmers for increasing of the inland fish production to meet the demand of the state and generate income of farmers. This project proposal submitted by Fisheries and Animal Resources Development (FARD)
Department was approved on July 15 in a state-level sanctioning committee of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) chaired by chief secretary AP Padhi. According to the "Blue Revolution" guidelines issued by the Centre, unit cost is Rs 7 lakh per hectare for construction of new pond or tanks, while unit cost of fish culture is Rs 1.5 lakh per hectare which includes cost of fish or prawn seed, feed, manure, disease prevention measures and transportation charges. "So we can provide maximum Rs 4.25 lakh as subsidy money. If anybody spends more than Rs 8.5 lakh per hectare, we won't give more than the maximum cap," official sources said.
FARD secretary Bishnupada Sethi said a maximum of two hectares for each farmer will be supported to undertake intensive aquaculture. Field level fisheries officials will identify beneficiaries and select sites at block level. Cluster approach will be preferred for site selection to facilitate availability of fingerlings for stocking and other supports. The total cost of the project is Rs 17.5 crore, he added. This project will support about 800 fish farmers of the state. It will help in creating 400 hectares of private land along with annual additional fish production of 2,000 metric tonnes (MT). "Interested farmers having suitable land can avail bank finance for construction of pond for which interest subvention of five per cent will also be available," Sethi said.
The state produces 5.21 lakh MT fish annually in 1.3 lakh hectares of land. Out of the total production, share of fresh water production is 3.37 lakh MT, brackish water (40,000 MT) and marine aquaculture (1.44 lakh MT). The state has exported 35,000 MT fish this year and earned foreign exchange.
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