Pengba, Khabak stalls for Chakkouba
Source: The Sangai Express / Ninglun Hanghal
Imphal, November 03 2015:
Pengba and Khabak varieties of fishes which have become quite rare and costly too though they are listed among indigenous fishes of Manipur would be made available this Ningol Chakkouba festival.
S Tomba & Sons Integrated Fish Farming Pvt Ltd, Hiyangthang is preparing to sell 12,000 Kgs of Pengba and Khabak this Ningol Chakkouba.
Notably, the fish farm is a leading producer of the two indigenous species of fishes.
According to the farm's proprietor Soibam Surchandra, due arrangements are being made to sell 4000 Kgs of Pengba weighing 250 gms and above and 8000 Kgs of Khabak weighing 50 to 70 gms.
Both Pengba and Khabak would be made available at the annual fish fair organised by Fishery Department specially for Ningol Chakkouba as well as at the farm at prices fixed by the Government, said Surchandra who has completed PG Diploma from Central Institute of Fishery Education, Mumbai.
He started rearing Pengba in his fish farm of 8.50 hectares since 1985.From just 6/7 Pengbas caught from Loktak Lake, Surchandra started producing Pengba fingerlings using artificial breeding methods.
He was available to produce Pengba on commercial scale since 1998 .
He added Ngaton in the list of fishes produced at his farm since 2007-08.Ngaton and Khabak are one single species of fish.
They are known by different names according to their sizes.
For a Ngaton to become Khabak, it takes around two years and six months.
Surchandra said that his farm started producing Khabak since 2013 .