A Case Study on Fish Farming - A Boon to Enhance Farmer’s Income and Employment Generation in Saline and Sodic Soil
Research Aspects in Agriculture and Veterinary Science Vol. 4,
10 November 2021
,
Page 63-70
https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/raavs/v4/1505B
Abstract
Fish farming in saline-sodic soil plays an important role in human nutrition and also in the rural economy of the country. For the management of water logged saline and sodic soil, a comprehensive ecological approach and a development of new system is essential. Fish culture is flourishing in saline and sodic area and act as a profitable enterprise for farmers. The present study was undertaken to explore the contribution of fish farming on farmer’s income and employment generation in saline and sodic soil. Mr.R.Fedrick Nickson is a progressive farmer adopting inland fish farming for their sustainable livelihood under sodic soil and started fish farming in a very small scale (0.2 ha) during 1993 with the technical backstopping of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tiruchirappalli and became a successful producer of quality fish. He got motivated and on an average 2 t/ha/year of fish was harvested, which is quiet a better yield. Further he started a fingerlings production unit in an area of 0.8 ha and harvested 2 lakh nos./year/ha from 2014 onwards. The scientific validation of study revealed that Mr.R.Fedrick Nickson is earning a net annual income of Rs.2 lakh/ha/year through the sale of fish and quality fingerlings. Thereby he generates an additional employment of 1099 man-days per year. Moreover, he is encouraging interested farmers (200 rural youth) through training to start fish farming on their own farms so that farming community can be benefitted in normal soil and also in sodic soil. The results of the current study revealed that benefit cost ratio (2.0:1) of fish farming was significantly higher than in agriculture (1.6:1) and can boost-up Indian economy which is today’s essential need besides serving as an eco-friendly venture for rural populace in saline and sodic area.
- Employment generation
- fish farming
- income and Sodic Soil