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Officials felicitating a fish farmer by giving certificate and cash award during the National Fish Farmer’s day observation in Imphal on Wednesday, July 10.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Imphal, July 10 (EMN): In a move to recognise and promote fish farming, the 19th edition of the National Fish Farmer’s day was observed in Imphal on Wednesday.
The hard working fish farmers who produce both quality and quantity fish in the context of Manipur were also honoured by giving certificates and cash awards during the event.
Fish is a super food with lots of health benefits specifically to reduce cardiac related ailments. In India, the awareness of fish consumption is very low. More than 70 percent of states consume less than six kg fish per person per annum whereas WHO recommends consuming 12 kg fish in a year. The global per capita consumption is about 22.3 kg per year.
Director in charge A Subhas of Agriculture Department, Joint Director I Meghachandra of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Manipur, Senior scientist Ch Basuda of ICAR and Director Bidyarani Ayekpam of Fisheries department attended the observation in Imphal.
Most of the speakers during the day’s function highlighted that lack of awareness about the benefits of fish and fish farming is an important issue to be addressed to boost fish production in the country and state in particular.
Joint Director Meghachandra of ICAR expressed the need to expand fish farming in the state not only in the valley but also in the hills considering the public demands and also as an initiative to take water bodies conservation activities while scientist Basuda appealed to regulate indiscriminate fishing during its breeding season(July).
In his speech, Director in charge A Subhas of Agriculture informed that the government had been providing necessary loans (financial assistance) to the genuine fish farmers as part of promoting the fish farming so as to overcome the shortfall of fish production in the state and also to reduce the financial burden while importing fish from outside.
On the other hand Director Bidyarani of Fisheries department informed that there are 25,000 registered fish farmers in Manipur. So the fish production in the state will be increased if half of them take up the intensive fish farming in the state, she felt.
On the other hand, both Director-in-charge of Agriculture and fisheries Director appealed to the genuine fish farmers to apply for farming loans (financial assistance) provided by the state government in order to increase fish production and also to cut down financial burden in importing fish from outside.