Terming that ‘blue revolution’ in Punjab could transform farmers’ destiny, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday said that the SAD-BJP alliance Government was making all out efforts for promoting fish farming in the State.
Addressing the gathering after visiting 100 acres fish farm of a progressive farmer Jaspal Singh Kang, Badal said that Punjab had pioneered ‘green revolution’ which was instrumental in providing food security in the country.
“With escalating input costs and squeezing margins of profit, agriculture is no longer a profitable venture due to which the State’s farmers are on the brink of economic crisis. In such a dismal scenario, pisciculture is the only ray of hope for them as they could supplement their income through it,” he said.
Badal said that in order to encourage fish farming in Punjab, the State Government has recently constituted Fisheries Board.
“Special thrust is being laid on imparting training to the fish farmers from reputed institutes both within the country and abroad…The farmers had gone for training to Bhubaneshwar, while another delegation visited China to acquaint themselves with techniques of fish farming,” he said.
Saying that the State Government was giving 40 per cent subsidy for setting up fish farms in the State, he said that now as a pilot project, the State Government was giving 90 per cent subsidy on setting up 100 acres fish farm in water logged areas of the State to promote fish farming in these areas.
Badal said that currently six villages have been selected under this scheme out of which four were in Sri Muktsar Sahib district and two in Fazilka district.
Chief Minister said: “Due to State Government’s stupendous efforts, Punjab is leading the country in fresh water fish productivity. However, the State Government is aiming to increase this production manifolds as the fish farmers in China are getting a record production to 32-33 ton fish per hectare as compared to merely six ton per hectare in Punjab.”