The Hindu Business Line : Vast scope for inland fish farming: Expert

WITH its large number of water-bodies such as lakes and reservoirs, Kerala has tremendous potential for inland fish farming, says Dr K.G. Padmakumar of the Regional Agricultural Research Station - Kumarakom.

In a recent paper on `Transferable technologies in inland aquaculture', he points out that fish farming techniques in open water bodies, such as lakes, using either cages or pens are of great relevance to Kerala.

Several such cages can be installed in the same water body and can be used to farm commercially valuable indigenous species of fish such as `pearlspot'.

In fact, studies have shown that `pearlspot' is an ideal species for farming in enclosures due to the fish's high rate of growth and ability to survive, he points out.

With commercial feed formulations easily available in the State, such fish farming systems do not call for high investments, he explains. Further, such ventures can even be community-owned and can also be supported by the Government, he adds.

Similarly, integrated fish farming techniques in paddy fields and other low-lying areas also hold great potential for Kerala, Dr Padmakumar says. For example, the `oru nellum, oru meenum' rotational farming system in the State's Kuttanad region has helped farmers increase their income by up to 40 per cent, he points out.

This system, which involves rotation of paddy cultivation and fish farming in paddy fields, has also resulted in significant savings on rice production costs, and has made rice farming more organic and remunerative, he says. Besides, using rice straw as a source of plankton has helped farmers to cut the costs of procuring feed for the fish, he adds.

Several models of integrated fish farming developed by the Regional Agricultural Research Station - Kumarakom have shown that aquaculture is ideal for the farming system in the State's lowlands, as agricultural waste and even domestic waste can be used as inputs for aquaculture, he says. At the same time, waste produced by fish farming can be used as inputs for agriculture, he adds.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Basmati experiment comes a cropper in Kerala

Vast scope for inland fish farming: Expert

Back to work

Weighty harvest

Kerala Govt aid to plantation sector

Miller & Smith Foods to up imports from India

Robust global industrial output spurs metals market

CCI may halt cotton procurement under MSP in Tamil Nadu soon

Malaysia's biofuel policy may prove positive for palm oil