Dhenkanal couple invited for I-Day in Delhi for innovative fish farming

Dhenkanal: A couple from Dhenkanal district has shown the way to hundreds of fish farmers to adopt biofloc-based fish farming for the last four years and make handsome profit. Biofloc-based farming system is a technology for the promotion of intensive fish production in a limited area.

The couple, Milan Jyoti Malla and Rasmita Malla of Chirulei village, have been invited by the Union government to join the Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi on Tuesday. They have been praised for adopting biofloc method of fish farming, an alternative to traditional fish farming and which generates huge profit. Milan registered Dhenkanal Fish Farmer Producers’ Company under Government of India three years ago. Now 764 farmers have joined the farmer producers’ organisation and as members of the company. They are growing fish in 50 ponds and also adopting the biofloc method. They are transporting fish to local markets and Kolkata and also selling it online. The farmers are harvesting fish several times a year.

Milan is a fish farmer as well as an entrepreneur . He is facilitating training programme for all farmers with support from District Fishery department, the farmers said. Biofloc farming system is both scientific and hygienic. It is also lucrative and there is a lot of demand for it outside Odisha.The couple expressed their happiness on being invited by the Union government for the Independence Day celebrations. “We are happy because government of India has recognised our innovation and fish farming movement in Dhenkanal.”

“The company has engaged many workers and we are promoting biofloc fish farming to produce tasty fish and get lucrative returns,” said Rashmita Malla. “We are promoting biofloc as well as traditional method of fish farming depending on the situation,” she added.

Many farmers are growing fish under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana and MGNREGA. Litu Sahoo, a farmer, said he has got support under MGNREGA and is growing fish at Damadarnali village. Farmers are now encouraged to take up pisciculture instead of growing paddy in view of the man-elephant conflict in the district.