Farmers are switching to fishery as paddy and wheat farming failed to yield lucrative income.[break] Agriculture officials said lower production cost coupled with higher income is the major factor luring farmers to fish farming.
“Farmers are increasingly attracted to fish farming which gives continued income for many years with one time investment. Demands for pond from farmers under the mission is out stripped our capacity,” said Muni Lal Agrahari, Fish Development Officer of Rundehi District Agriculture Development Office.
Under the mission, the government has been extending support of Rs 100,000 per hectare of ponds to the farmers. During the fiscal year 2011/12, the government provided subsidy to construct ponds in 10 hectares though the demand was for ponds in 40 hectares.
“We have demanded the budget in the Department of Agriculture (DoA) to meet the demands for ponds from farmers,” he added. Agriculture technicians said fish farmers are earning around five times the income earned from paddy and wheat production.
The government had initiated Fish Mission in the district from the fiscal year 2007/08. DAO Rupandehi said fish ponds are constructed in 722 hectares of farmland so far in the district.
Officials said productivity of fish under the mission has doubled to four tons per hector. “Productivity of fishes in the farms doubled due to the modernization of ponds constructed under the mission,” said Agrahari.
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