National Fish Seed Farm records 30 percent increase in production

Kathua (Jammu and Kashmir), June 19: The National Fish Seed Farm (NFSF) in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district has delivered more than 3.8 million fingerlings of various species, a 30 percent increase in production than last year.

Initiated in 1984 as a Centrally Sponsored Project, the NFSF is one of the largest fish seed farm in the country and is the premier centre for development of pond fisheries in the state.

The various species of fingerlings that the farm produces include Rohu, Katla, Mirgale species of Ganga River, silver carp, Grass carp of China and common carp of Thailand.

The NFSF also caters to the demands of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and 500 fishponds of the government reservoirs, and to meet the requirements, a team has started working with the latest Chinese process of hatching the eggs.

"We have varieties from outside which we call exotic carp's varieties; these are Silver carp, Grass carp and Common carp and three varieties are from Ganga, these are Rahu, Katla, Mirgale and we have also produced seeds of these varieties here," said K.K. Kajuria, NFSF Project Officer.

"All these species are the fast growing species and the seeds of this fishes are pure and of good quality and we have a good increase in production this time, "said K.K Kajuria, Project Officer of National Fish Seed Farm," he added.

Meanwhile, with an increase in production, fish farmers across the region are delighted and expect it to provide them food returns this year.

"We have been working for seven-eight years, we are happy with such increase in the production. All of us have benefited and we want more varieties of fishes with good quality, right now we are getting Rahu, Katla and Mirgale," said Ram Prasad, a fisherman.