Ningol Chakkouba Fish Fair : Locally reared Sarengs draw in the crowd
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, October 26 2022: Annoyance and irritation gripped the initial phase of the Annual Fish Fair cum Fish Crop Competition held at at Hapta Kangjeibung, Palace Compound today as a large number of people stood in long queue for considerable period of time due to non-availability of the fish species they wanted to buy.

Reportedly, a top official of the Fisheries Department had recently said that inconveniences will be negligible while procuring fishes from the stalls set up at the fish fair this year.

As the Government announced that Sareng will also be put up for sale during the mela, a number of people including elders stood in queue from the beginning of the Fish Fair to buy fishes of their choice.

Ningol Chakkouba Fish Fair : Locally reared Sarengs draw in the crowd

However, the Sarengs which are to be sold weren't brought to the site of the Fish Fair on time, compelling the buyers to vent their anger to the organisers.

Soon after a consignment of fish was brought for sale, Fisheries Minister Heikham Dingo Singh and Fisheries Director H Balkrisna Singh cheered up the irritated buyers and sold the first Sareng to one elder and others followed suit.

The programme organized by the Department of Fishery was held in connection with Ningol Chakkouba, which falls on October 27 .

Speaking on the occasion, Fisheries Minister Heikham Dingo Singh said that the Fishery Department has been playing a big role to provide the staple diet sufficiently in the State.

He said that out of the 52,000 MT of fish required for consumption in Manipur, the department produced 32,000 MT in 2019 .

The Government has been focusing on production of fishes in consultation with experts from other parts of the country, Dingo said and added the Government will be able to produce 50,000 MT of fishes soon.

The Minister further stated that the pilot project under the initiative of Chief Minister N Biren Singh to produce Meitei Sareng was a success.

The department has produced Sareng weighing 3.5 kg, the Minister continued and maintained that there were some problems in procuring fingerlings this year and as such only Sarengs weighing above 1 kg were produced for the fair.

Stating that the fish fair is organized only at the time of Ningol Chakkouba festival, the Minister added that the department will make arrangements to organize fish fair during Emoinu Eratpa too.

Dingo continued that the Government is working to increase the production of locally available Phabounga for making ngari.

Appealing to all stakeholders to extend support to the Fishery Department to increase fish yield in the State, he also appealed to all fishermen to refrain from using malpractices while catching fish.

Director of Fisheries H Balkrisna Singh said that altogether 115 stalls were opened at the fair while 200 fish farmers took part in it.

He said 28 cash rewards will be handed to the winners of the Fish Crop Competition.

He added that the department targeted to produce 1,00,000 kgs of indigenous fishes for the fair and for the first time, more than 3000 kg of locally produced fresh Sarengs were put up for sale this year.

MLAs Kongkham Robindro Singh, Sanasam Premchandra Singh and officials of Fishery Department from all the districts also attended the programme among others.