In a bid to drag the farmers out the of the vicious wheat and paddy crop rotation, Punjab Government has decided to give 20 per cent subsidy for the digging of new fish ponds and rehabilitation of old ponds.
“The State Government has earmarked Rs 1,288 crore in the annual budget of 2013-14 to finance the various schemes of fish farming,” said Animal Husbandry, Fishery and Dairy Development Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike.He added that during 2006-07, the fish production was 6,000 kg per hectare which increased to the level of 6560 km per hectare in the year 2012-13.“Government has been imparting five-day basic training to the fish farmers in each district. “For digging new fishpond, 20 per cent subsidy is being given to the farmers belonging to general category whereas for the fish farmers belonging to scheduled caste community, subsidy is 25 percent,” he added.