State aiming to produce 90,000 kg fish
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIPR

Imphal, October 27 2021: While announcing the prices of fish to be made available to the public during the annual fish fair-cum-fish crop competition, 2021 which will be held at Mapal Kangjeibung on November 5, fisheries minister S Rajen Singh has said that around 90,000 kg of fishes are being targeted for production for the fair.

Speaking to newspersons at his South Block, Old Secretariat office on Wednesday, minister Rajen informed that the fair will be organised as a part of Ningol Chakkouba festival that falls on November 6.Prices of the fishes have also been fixed.

Pengba and Khabak weighing below 300g will be available at Rs 450/Kg, 300Kg above at Rs 650/Kg; Ngaton at Rs 470/Kg; Catla (below 1 Kg) at Rs 210/Kg, Rs 270/Kg for 2 Kg and above and Rs 350/Kg for 5 Kg and above); Rohu Rs 210 (below 1 Kg), Rs 280/Kg (1 Kg and above), Rs350 (2 Kg and above); Common Carp at Rs 200/Kg (below 1 Kg), Rs 250 (1 Kg and above), Rs 280 (2Kg and above); Grass carp at Rs 210 (below 2Kg), Rs 280/Kg (2Kg and above), Rs 310/Kg (3Kg and above), Rs 350/kg (above 5 Kg and above); Silver Carp at Rs 150/Kg (below 3 Kg), Rs 180/Kg (3 Kg and above); Ngahei (pangasius), Tunghanbi (Tilapia), Ukabi (Anabas) and Porong (Snakehead fish) will also be available at a reasonable price this year.

All fishes will be local products, the minister informed.

He further said that more than 100 stalls will be put up during the fair and fish produced by cooperative societies and private farmers will be on displayed and sold In previous year, 65,000 kg of fishes were sold in the fair.

The minister urged the people to celebrate Ningol Chakkouba with fish produced by local farners instead of the imported ones.

Pointing out that the state has launched a project for farming Sareng (Wallago Atu), the minister said that Sareng weighing around one kg will also be put up in the fair.

Sareng will be made available in the next fair as it is not fully developed as of now, he maintained.

Rajen stressed that the government has been trying hard to prevent draining away of economy of the state on buying fishes from other states.

Around 56,000 metric tonne of fishes are required for the state in a year and approximately 26,000 MT of fishes were produced previously.

However, the state is now able to produce about 36,000 metric tonne and is aiming to meet the yearly requirement by taking up various initiatives including Loktak Livelihood Mission.

Biofloc fish farming has been introduced for those farmers who do not have adequate land and training programme for biofloc fish farming has also been in hill areas, he mentioned.

Hoping that the hard, works of the department and fish farmers will be bear the fruit and locally produced fishes will replace the imported ones, the minister informed that research work has been taken up to preserve and farm indigenous fishes.

Fisheries Department director H Balkrishna Singh, cooperative fish farmers and officers of fisheries department also attended the press conference.

Mention may be made here that DFO Bishnupur has set the highest target of producing 20,000 kg of fish for the fair among the valley districts while DFO Chandel is aiming to produce 5000 kg among the hill districts.

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