Cage Culture Fish Farming In Hirakud Reservoir Helps Youth Become Entrepreneurs
The way of fishing, practised in Hirakud Reservoir, has helped several youth earn and also give jobs to others in the region. Of the 66,000 hectares water volume of the reservoir, cage culture fish farming is allowed on 660 hectares. At present 215 young entrepreneurs have put up their cages in the water and earning Rs 7 lakh per annum each.
The fish produced in the cages, primarily Tilapia and Pangasius are first exported to Vijayawada and then from there to Dubai and South Africa. The Hirakud Reservoir is the largest cage culture fish farming project in the state. The reservoir has capacity to accommodate 400 cages at once on an area of 660 hectares.
If the reservoir's available area is utilised to its capacity, around one lakh tonnes of fish can be produced annually. At present, around 50,00 tonnes of fish is produced from the 215 cages annually. While Tilapia is produced twice a year, Pangasius is produced once a year in the reservoir. Tilapia is much in demand in markets abroad and is sold for Rs 120 to 130 per kg locally.
Saurabh Samantray, of Burla is into cage culture fish farming. A B Tech in Computer Science, he worked in a software company in Bengaluru before switching to fish farming back home. Saurabh said he started cultivating fish in tanks and then invested in cage fish culture farming after becoming aware of it.
He has availed 600 sq metre of land for a cage on lease for five years in which he raises 35,000 fish. "I earn Rs 6 to 7 lakh annually after deducting all expenses. I also have five people working for me. We farm fish like Tilapia, Pangasius in the cage. Our fish is procured by a company in Vijayawada, which it processes the produce before it is sent to Dubai and South Africa," he said. Saurabh said he had invested Rs 57 lakhs in the project and received Rs 32.40 lakhs assistance from the government.
Similarly, another young entrepreneur, Prashant Kumar Bhuyan from Sambalpur, is a 2011 passout from Rourkela NIT. He was also working in an MNC during a vacation came to know of cage fish farming.
Fisheries department and took 1,800 cubic metres area for setting up a cage in Hirakud reservoir for five years. Now I am farming Tilapia and Pangasius fish here. I havee employed seven individuals," he said.
Prashant had invested Rs 54 lakhs in the venture and also received assistance from the government. "Scientists from CIFA trained us in this method of fish farming," he said.
Gyan Ranjan Samal, Deputy Director of Fisheries, Sambalpur Zone, said the yield in cage fish farming is more than conventional farming. "The volume of a cage is 1,800 cubic meters, and an entrepreneur is allowed to take one cage on lease. Around 20 to 25,000 twins are released in one cage and the yield is 30 to 40 tonnes," he said.
He said the government has prepared a draft for cage fish farming. "For investing in cage fish farming, an individual must be an Indian citizen. He must have an Aadhaar card and a bank account in Odisha," Samal said, adding only one cage on 1,800 cubic metre area is given to an individual.
Along with this, 3,000 square metres of land is given for storing fish and related facilities. The entrepreneur availing the cages on lease have to pay Rs 1.5 lakh to the government for five year. The entrepreneurs are trained by experts from the Fisheries department once every six months, he said.