Kailali, Dec 30: Farmers have been lured to fishery in Sudurpaschim Province of late. The fish farming is done in more than 200 natural ponds and hundred other commercial ponds.
The government record shows 10,000 metric tons of fish is produced every year in the province.
Chief of the fishery development centre of Geta, Kailali, Surya Shahi, informed that Kailali and Kanchapur districts were being developed as centre for fishery in the province. The production has meeting almost 75 percent of the demand here, while 25 percent is imported from India and other provinces.
Even the consumption of this aquatic animal is on rise here. Annually, average consumption per person is two kg of fish. According to Office Chief Shahi, per person consumption of fish would be increased to 10 kg in coming 10 years. Similarly, the production of the aquatic animal is aimed at reaching 30,000 metric tons per a year in a decade.
However, the farmers have complained that they were not getting fries, feed and medication on time, while marketing is an equally pressing problem.
The Centre further informed that around 4,800 metric tons of fish is consumed in Kailali and Kanchanpur annually. Fishery is being done in ponds constructed in 1,750 hectares of land in two districts.
Of 1,750 hectares of land, the natural ponds cover 1,304 hectares of land and artificial ponds 250 hectares of land. Three metric tons of fish per hectare is being produced in artificial ponds and one metric ton per hectare in the natural pond.
The two districts used to import around 90 per cent fish from India before 10 years, which are now producing fries of different species. The Centre has been producing more fries than the target in the recent period and distributing to different districts.
