Lockdown Impact on Fish production: Slow movement of fish seeds from Bengal due to lockdown to impact fish production in the country
Prices of fish have also started moving up with fishes like Pangash, which is widely consumed in Bihar, Uttar Pardesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, going up as much as 90% in some markets in these states.KOLKATA: India is facing a fish scarcity, with prices rising in several states because of the lockdown. The situation is likely to deteriorate because transportation bottlenecks have derailed movement of fish seed from West Bengal, the major supplier. This has already made fish scarce in some states.
Trade officials said police harassment, fear of the virus, labour scarcity and shortage of trucks has blocked the movement of fish seed from Bengal to Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Fish feed production is also under stress as supply of raw materials like corn, soya, de-oiled rice bran and mustard cake is posing a problem as farmers are not being able to sell their commodities in mandis.
Prices of fish have also started moving up with fishes like Pangash, which is widely consumed in Bihar, Uttar Pardesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, going up as much as 90% in some markets in these states.
“Hatcheries have done breeding of new Pangash, which cannot be transported due to lockdown,” said Surajit Kashyapi, owner of Kolkata-based fish seed supplier Anand Krishi Khamar. “Only 10% to 15% Pangash seed has been stocked by farmers before lockdown. Its harvesting period will be August to October. So there will be a huge gap in demand and supply.”
There are a few hatcheries for Rohu, Katla and Mrigel fish in other states but the supply is limited.
“If we are unable to send seeds right now then there will be a huge production gap in Andhra Pradesh and other states,” said Kashyapi.
India produces 13.42 million tonnes of fish annually.
“No fish seed is coming from Bengal,” said Sushil Rai, owner of Bihar-based Raja Fisheries “We do not know how to breed fishes and cater to the market. Price of Pangash fish has gone up from Rs 120 per kg before lockdown to Rs 250 per kg after lockdown.”
Nitin Goud, owner of Indore-based Red Basket, a non veg super store said there is no fish at all in the market. “Whatever little is there it is being sold at a high price,” he said.
Rohu, which normally sells for Rs 200 per kg, is now quoting a price of Rs 300 per kg in parts of Madhya Pradesh.
Amit Saraogi, managing director of Kolkata – based animal feed maker Anmol Feeds, said production of all animal feeds, including fish feed, is a problem now. “Arrival of corn in mandis in Bihar has almost stopped. Corn is a major raw material for animal feed. Farmers bring corn to mandis in tractors. But the government has not allowed movement of tractors during lockdown,” he said. “Similarly, soya meal, de-oiled rice bran and mustard cake, from which animal feed is produced, are not reaching the animal feed industry as soyabean, mustard seed are not reaching mandis.”
Source: indiatimes.com
