Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma said here on Sunday that the government would make fish feed available at affordable rates to aqua farmers.
She was speaking after inaugurating a fish sales stall at Cheranalloor where safe fish will be sold under the aegis of a collective of fish farmers.
The Cheranalloor initiative is part of a project to establish a chain of safe fish stalls across the State, said a press release.
The Minister praised the idea of having stalls to reach safe food products to the people.
The fisheries group will sell farmed fish that have been grown in a healthy manner. Vegetables produced along with fish farming will also be available at the fish stall.
Hibi Eden, MLA, inaugurated the organic vegetables outlet. Fisheries deputy director S. Mahesh distributed the first membership cards of the fishermen’s group.
The government has already taken steps to provide healthy fingerlings for aqua farmers in the State and the next step is to provide fish feed at affordable rates, the Fisheries Minister added.
Training centre
The Minister inaugurated an aquaculture training centre at the Njarakkal fish farm. She said efforts should be made to ensure that Kerala achieved self-sufficiency in fish seed production. Fish seeds were not sufficiently available for inland water aquaculture, she said.
The Minister also called for continuing the traditional methods of pokkali rice cultivation in which rice and fish are farmed in the same field. The centre can provide training to 50 people at the same time. The Njarakkal fish farm is located on 0.75 hectares. Vypeen block panchayat president K.K. Joshi presided over the inaugural function.
New school
The Minister also laid the foundation stone for a Government Higher Secondary School at Kongorpilly. The school will be built with ₹5 crore from KIIFB and ₹72 lakh from MLA V.K. Ebrahim Kunju’s local area development fund, said the press release.
