Fish farming Practices: Vineet Singh speaks on everything from pond construction to fish seeds and market prices

Fish farming Practices: Just as it is important to know the needs of customers to sell any product, similarly, to earn more profit from fish farming, one should know the preferences of the people of his area. Fish farming is emerging as an excellent option for self-employment in rural areas. Many schemes are also being run by the government to encourage rural unemployed youth to fish farming. Slowly, but the youth are getting attracted towards this and are also earning good profits. Advanced management in fish farming is also making it more profitable.

Young Vineet Singh of Baghwala village of Rudrapur in Uttarakhand has also made fish farming his profession and he is earning good money from it. What are the things to keep in mind in fish farming and how you can earn profit from your business by keeping in mind the preferences of the local people, Vineet Singh discussed all these important issues with Kisan of India correspondent Sarvesh Bundeli.

5-6 thousand fish seeds in one acre pond (Fish Seeds Quantity) 

Vineet Singh says that he started this work 4 years ago and he currently has 4 ponds, in which he rears different types of fish. He says that he has Rohu, Katla, Naini, Grass fish and he has also built a pond of one acre for Pangasius. As far as fish seeds are concerned, he says that 5-6 thousand seeds are put in one acre pond, which includes four types of species – Rohu, Katla, Naini and Grass. For grass fish, he puts fodder, while for other fish, floating grains are used in the pond.

In how many days does the fish get ready? (Fish Growth Cycle) 

Regarding when and how big seeds are required to be put for good production, Vineet Singh says that fish farmers should put 100 grams of seeds in the pond in the month of March. There should be a separate seed pond for seeds in which seeds are always available. The fish in the pond grows up to 800 grams in just 8-10 months, which can be easily sold.

Fish Disease Control 

If you want all your fish to survive and the damage is minimal, then for this it is important to protect the fish from external insects and diseases. To prevent any kind of disease or insect, it is important to find out. Vineet says that every one and a half months, they get the netting done which shows whether the fish have any kind of disease or not. Medicines of many companies are available in the market for different types of diseases, which are given to the fish. Apart from this, pictures of the fish are sent to the local doctor and on his advice, the fish are given medicine.

Pond Size In Fish Farming 

For proper fish farming, the pond must have the right size. Vineet Singh says that the pond should not be less than one acre. The width should not be less than 150-200 feet, no matter what the length is. The depth should be 7-8 feet and the water should be up to 5-6 feet. The water in his pond is also 5-6 feet.

Income from Fish Farming 

As far as income and production are concerned, Vineet shares his experience and says that if 5 thousand seeds are put in a pond of one acre and if the fish farmer takes care of it properly, then if the weight of one fish is 800 grams, then the total weight of 5000 babies will be 40 quintals. The market price is Rs 150 per kg, so fish farmers can earn up to Rs 6 lakh. A good income from farming is obtained from fish farming. This is a good option for employment, especially in the land which is not suitable for farming, fish farming proves to be a profitable deal.

Market in Fish Production 

Some farmers complain that their fish does not sell, so in this regard Vineet Singh advises the farmers to first know about the choice of the people of their area, that is, which fish do the people of that place like to eat more. Like, Rohu is more popular in some places and Pangasius in others. So you should produce according to the type of fish people like more in the area you live in. Vineet Singh tells about himself that more people of Bengali community live in Rudrapur, whose first choice is Rohu fish. Therefore, Rohu fish starts selling from his place as soon as it weighs 400 grams. 

Commercial Fish Feeds 

There is no fixed formula for how much feed should be given to fish and how many times a day. Vineet Singh says that every company has different standards for feed. According to the company whose feed he uses, 2-2.5 percent of the body mass of the fish should be given. Suppose he has stocked 5 thousand fish weighing 100 grams each, then their weight is 5 quintals, two percent of this will be 100 kg. A bag comes of 40 kg, so it is necessary to give at least two bags of feed to the fish daily.

Just feeding the feed is not enough. It is also important to see how much the fish are growing with this. Vineet says that for this, after feeding the feed for one and a half months, he takes out the fish through netting and sees how much they have grown. If you buy the feed of the company that you want to use or which is easily available in your area, a person from the company will come and explain to you when and how much feed should be given to the fish.

Important Tips Related to Fish Farming 

It is important to keep some basic things in mind to earn profit in any business. You will also have to keep some things in mind to earn a lot from fish farming. Vineet says that before digging a pond, get the soil tested to see if the soil will be able to hold water or not. Many farmers take a lot of time to fill the pond after digging it, because water does not stay in the pond.

The second thing is that seeds should be taken from government seed suppliers instead of local seed suppliers. The third thing is that it is also important to keep an eye on the quantity. How much growth is the fish getting from the feed that is being fed, is it getting any kind of disease. It is also important to keep an eye on this, only then will we be able to prevent it.

After taking training, Vineet Singh started the business of fish farming and he also got benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana for pond construction. In such a situation, he also advises rural unemployed youth to do fish farming. He says that this is a very good business. Many schemes have also been started by the government in this area, which can be availed. 

Frequently asked questions on fish farming in ponds

Question: What is fish farming?

Answer: Fish farming is an agricultural process, in which fish are reared in ponds, lakes, rivers, or other water resources. Its main objective is to increase the number of fish and improve their quality. Through fish farming, not only the production capacity of fish is increased, but it is also an important source of economic benefit.

Question: Which fish are suitable for fish farming in ponds?

Answer: Pond fish farming can be a profitable business, provided you select the right kind of fish. The most suitable fish are Rohu, Katla, and Mrigal. The rearing process of these fish is relatively simple and they grow fast, which makes their rearing more economical.

Question: How to select and prepare a pond?

Answer: First of all, while selecting the location of the pond, make sure that the place is well lit by sunlight and there is less shade. This will ensure that the amount of oxygen in the water is sufficient and the fish remain healthy. Water quality and depth of the pond are also important factors.

Question: How to care for and manage the health of fish?

Answer: Fish care and health management have an important place in fish farming. It is necessary to identify the diseases of fish and treat them timely so that pond fish farming can be successful. First of all, it is important to identify the symptoms of fish diseases. Commonly, diseases that occur in fish include fungal infections, bacterial infections, and parasitic infections. Symptoms of these diseases may include spots on the fish’s skin, deterioration of the fins, and abnormal swimming.