THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If 2,049 farm ponds dug up using Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) in Thiruvananthapuram, can be put to good use it could fuel a boom in aquaculture, say, experts. Many beneficiaries have decided to start aquaculture in ponds primarily dug up for rainwater conservation efforts. The standard ponds constructed by the officials are 15x10x3 metres big. Each of these tanks has the potential to generate a tonne of fish in one harvest if maintained moderately intensive with filtration, say farmers.
“We have a five-cent pond at Pallichal which was built before the present farm pond construction spree. Since two years we have been securing genetically improved tilapia fishlings from Ernakulam. They generally have low mortality rate and consistently grow over half a kg. There is increasing demand for this here,” said Nivil N, a farmer. In natural setup, genetically improved tilapia harvest will make high benefits as each fish give a yield of up to 700 grams.
“At presently, the farm-based aquaculture is not popular in the capital compared to areas like Kothamangalam, Ponnani or Cherai. The possibility of integrated fish farming also has to be popularised in Thiruvananthapuram,” he said. The leftovers from poultry and vegetable farming can serve as economic fish feed. The district panchayat president V.K. Madhu had said that, as against the official expectation, there has been massive demand from the private person for farms.
