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Pakistan Agriculture Research
Council (PARC) is offering fish farmers
across the country free technical assistance to help
them increase their yield per acre.
In the hope of achieving
higher profit levels, farmers are increasingly
converting their agricultural land into fish farms and
to help them maximise their returns, PARC technicians
are offering to examine sites and carry out feasibility
studies free of charge, writes Business Recorder.
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Aquaculture projects,
currently aim to
achieve the target of 4,000 kg fish per
acre, says a PARC spokesman.
(Photo:FAO) |
The increase in fish farming has been brought about
through the efforts of the fisheries department in
promoting and supporting aquaculture projects, which
currently aim to achieve the target of 4,000 kg fish per
acre, says a PARC spokesman.
In rural areas, he adds,
even dirty ponds could be converted to fish farms with
little preparation, thus providing a new avenue of
income generation in parts of the country where
employment opportunities and earnings are very limited.
Species such as trout,
common carp, grass carp, silver carp are already being
successfully farmed in some areas and plans are also
underway to encourage greater participation in shrimp
farming.
The PARC and the
fisheries department jointly produce fingerlings to
provide to farmers, as well as offering training in
skill development, marketing, storage and hatching. The
department is also conducting ongoing research into fish
diseases.
As well as boosting the
local economy, experts say the country's abundant fresh
water resources and world's largest canal network also
provide tremendous export potential for aquaculture
products. |
