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KOHIMA — The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DoF&AR), in collaboration with the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, distributed Amur carp seeds (Cyprinus carpio haematopterus) to farmers in Kohima district on Wednesday as a trial project.
In the distribution programme at the directorate, the deputy director of DoF&AR, Dr. Vimezo Kire, said that the Amur carp is genetically improved and is a new type of fish to be experimented on in Nagaland for the first time.
He said that it can thrive in shallow water, tolerate temperature fluctuations, withstand high turbidity, and grow to a marketable size in a short period of time.
He requested that the farmers keep the department updated about their growth from time to time, and once the experiment is successful in Kohima, it will be implemented in other districts as well.
Out of 150 packages in total, 97 reached the directorate on Wednesday, while the remaining will be delivered later. A box of Amur carp seeds contained 1,000 units, he informed and urged the beneficiaries to share it with their neighbours and friends.
He further added that over 100 beneficiaries from Kohima have been identified for the experiment.
Dr. Subhendu Adhikari, principal scientist (level 14) at ICAR-CIFA, Bhubaneswar, said the main reason that farmers in Nagaland should adopt a ‘paddy cum fish’ culture is for them to be self-sufficient.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]There are poor and marginal farmers who have only one or two ponds, so if they receive the fish seeds, it will be an extra income for them, he said.
He stated that in Nagaland, there is water scarcity, and by utilising the water for both rice and fish, farmers can get two products.
He mentioned that the fish usually grow in three months and weigh from a minimum of 50 gram to 100 gram in 90 to 100 days, and added that the first batch is meant for an experiment in the state.
He also cautioned farmers against using any pesticide, as that would kill fish. In addition, farmers have to take advantage of the warmer weather and seasons when fish grow faster, he said.
Earlier, a state-level training programme on ‘paddy cum fish culture’ was also conducted at the directorate with resource persons Dr. S Adhikar and Dr. R N Mandal, principal scientist from ICAR-CIFA, Bhubaneswar.
On this, Adhikari also said that the officials of the department were asked to monitor and distribute the fish properly so that farmers could benefit from it. He added that the ICAR-CIFA will give training to the officials.
In the future, the ICAR-CIFA also plans to carry out a project on ‘pig cum fish’ culture, depending on the availability of funds. This is because pig is very much preferred in Nagaland, he said.