Demonetisation deprives consumers of tilapia delicacy 

Demonetisation deprives consumers of tilapia delicacy 
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Highlights

Demonetisation has impacted the marketing of the Tilapia fish (Koyya Pippali in Telugu) being cultivated through Cage Culture in Pedderu  Reservoir of  V Madugula mandal in Visakhapatnam district.

Visakhapatnam: Demonetisation has impacted the marketing of the Tilapia fish (Koyya Pippali in Telugu) being cultivated through Cage Culture in Pedderu Reservoir of V Madugula mandal in Visakhapatnam district. With markets on a low, the fish which has reached harvesting stage is being kept in the waters with the fisheries department forced to feed it.

The department took up the cage culture of Tilapia fish in with a cost of Rs 80 lakh, along with six other districts-Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Kurnool and Chittoor. The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture, Vijayawada supplied 1.5 lakh small fry on January 10 which were reared with special care in the tandava reservoir for two months, and finally 1.05 lakh small fry were released in cages with proper nylon cover in Pedderu Reservoir. Youth of a local fishermen society was entrusted with taking care of cages and also daily supply of feed to the fish.

Initially, the survival rate of the fish was found to be 90 per cent and estimated yield from the entire north coastal Andhra districts was 100mts. However, both Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts were ahead of Vizag district in the cultivation of Tilapia fish and as such, majority of stocks were sold immediately after the harvest.

Since Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture which had initially consented to supply the seed as well as take up marketing the product is not showing interest now, commissioner of Fisheries has asked the officials to sell the harvested fish to a private company. Joint Director of Fisheries V Venkateswara Rao told The Hans India on that the Tilapia fish were harvested and the private company has agreed to purchase the fish weighing more than 500 gms at Rs 70 a kg and that weighing between 300-500 gms at Rs 55 a kg.

He felt that there was a good market for Tilapia fish in Kerala. ‘We were expecting a total quantity of 30 mts of fish from Pedderu Reservoir and the only problem is marketing. From time to time, we are in touch with the private company and requesting them to lift the stock. But, the company citing the present crisis of demonetization has assured us that it would lift stock later,” he explained.

By V V L N Rao

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