The Fact News Service
Chandigarh, March 6
With the aim of promoting shrimp farming in state and sensitizing farmers about agro-auxiliary occupation aquaculture, Fisheries Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar released the poster of the department prepared by the student of Fine Art college, Chandigarh.
Notably, to prepare the poster, the Fisheries Department has organized special competition for the students of Government Fine Art College, Sector-10, Chandigarh, in which the poster of Miss Parneet Kaur was selected, who was given Rs.10,000 prize money by the Fisheries Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar.
The cabinet minister, while addressing the gathering, said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led government is making continuous efforts to promote shrimp farming in the state, adding that saline affected and waterlogged area of five south-western districts Sri Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda, Mansa, Faridkot and Fazilka, is deprived of agriculture, in which shrimp farming is proving to be very profitable.
At present 1212 acres are under shrimp farming, Laljit Singh Bhullar said, adding more than 360 farmers are directly involved in this profitable occupation, from which farmers are getting a profit of Rs.3 to Rs.4 lakhs per acre from barren land. He said, during the year 2022-23, more than 2400 tonnes of shrimp was produced in the state. Efforts are being made to promote shrimp farming in an area of 5,000 acres during the next five years, he categorically added.
The Cabinet Minister said that a government training center is providing various services to the farmers at village Enna Khera, district Sri Muktsar Sahib to promote shrimp farming. Farmers can get free training in shrimp farming from this centre. Besides this, soil water sample testing facility is also being provided at this centre. He said, shrimp farming is a 120-day summer season crop. Shrimp stocking is done in the month of April, while the yield is harvested in the month of August, said the Minister.
The Fisheries Minister informed, state government is providing 40 to 60 percent subsidy to adopt shrimp farming, and farmers of the south-western districts can take advantage of this facility to start this profitable agro-auxiliary occupation.
Prominent amongst others who were present in the function included, Principal Secretary Vikas Pratap, Joint Secretary Sakattar Singh Bal, Director Animal Husbandry Dr. Ram Pal Mittal, Director Fisheries Jasbir Singh and Assistant Director Fisheries Satinder Kaur and Jaswinder Singh.
