Pongal harvest may be bumper for aqua units

With as many as 600 farmers actively involved in inland aqua farming in the Delta regions, several fish species namely, Rohu, Catla, Mrigal (Kendai) and also Sea Bass (Koduva) are being cultured in fresh water ponds across the district. These farmers would begin the preliminary activities, including the stocking of fish seeds during, August and September. This would help them to meet the soaring demand during Pongal holidays. 

With timely availability of water due to good rainfall in the district, aqua farmers said that cultured fish species would attain desirable growth both in terms of weight and length by Pongal season triggering a lucrative business.

“We have established four new ponds for fish cultivation last week, thanks to northeast monsoon. It would be difficult to meet the demand if the rainfall is less. We have even had the situation of purchasing water,” said M Veerasamy, aqua farmer from Sirkazhi in Nagapattinam district. 

The aqua farmers have already placed the seedlings of Kendai purchased from Thinnanur farm and they have almost grown up to 250 gram to 350 gram. “These fish would grow in a finer size ranging between one kg and 1.250 kg during the Pongal season,” Veerasamy said. The aqua farmers also said that the prices are expected to notch an average of Rs 150 a kg for all the inland fish species. The aqua farmers procure the fish species at Re 1 to Re 1.50 per fish seed measuring three cm to five cm in length from various fish hatcheries in the delta districts.