Punjab Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar has urged the farmers of the state to adopt fish farming as a subsidiary occupation of agriculture to increase their income.
The Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister said that the government was providing a 40 per cent subsidy for adopting fish farming, and the farmers should take maximum benefit of the scheme.
Bhullar, while extending congratulations to fish/shrimp farmers on the World Fisheries Day celebrated on November 21, reiterated that the Punjab government was committed to provide all possible assistance for adopting fish farming as a profession.
He said the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led state government was making continuous progress in the field of Fisheries and added that special emphasis was being laid on development of infrastructure for fish farming and increasing fish production in the state.
A total 43,691 acre area of Punjab is under fisheries, from where 1,89,647 tonnes of fishes are being produced, according to an official statement.
Shrimp farming is being done in the land affected by waterlogging and saline water in Punjab, which proved to be successful in increasing the income of the farmers. At present, a total area of 1,200 acres is under shrimp cultivation, he said.
He said 15 government fish seed farms are operational in Punjab, while a new government fish seed farm is being developed at village Killianwali in district Fazilka.
Besides this, a wholesale-cum-retail government fish market is operational at Ludhiana and another new fish market is under construction at Patiala, which will be operational soon.
The Fisheries Minister further said, the government has been providing a 40 per cent subsidy to the beneficiaries on the total cost of the projects such as preparing new ponds for fish/shrimp culture, installation of biofloc technique system and establishing fish feed mills and procuring fish transport vehicles etc.
