Fish breeding unsuccessful

While farm ponds have helped in improving the water table, fish breeding started on an experimental basis in them as a source of income for farmers has not met the expected success.

According to officials, in a first in the district, fish breeding was started in two ponds belonging to a farmer in Vandapuli. High percolation rate of the soil and inadequate financial aid by the Fisheries Department put the farmer V. Jeyaraman, who is also the panchayat president, in difficulty.

“Instead of using water from the pond, I am pumping water into it from a bore-well to save the fish,” he said, adding that he had already spent more than Rs.50,000 from his pocket. “Since I have already availed subsidy through MGNREGS for digging the pond, the Fisheries Department says that it will not provide any subsidy for fish breeding,” he said.

M. Balasubramanian, a retired fisheries official guiding the work, said that fish breeding in a small pond had the potential to fetch Rs 2 lakh per annum provided adequate water was available.