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Move to shore up Murrel production
The Telangana government has decided to take the help of scientists working at ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Bhubhaneswar, for increasing the production of ‘Murrel’, which is the State fish. Due to its scarcity, the pricey fish is sold for more than Rs 500 per kg. It is naturally produced in ponds and this initiative would help boost farm production of the fish for first time i
The State government to rope in aquaculture scientists from Odisha to increase production of pricey ‘State Fish’
Hyderabad: The Telangana government has decided to take the help of scientists working at ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Bhubhaneswar, for increasing the production of ‘Murrel’, which is the State fish. Due to its scarcity, the pricey fish is sold for more than Rs 500 per kg. It is naturally produced in ponds and this initiative would help boost farm production of the fish for first time in the State.
According to officials, a team of scientists from ICAR will be visiting the State on May 16 and 17 to a farm near Koilsagar in Mahbubnagar to study the feasibility of seed production. Since the State largely depends on AP (mostly from Kolleru) and Odisha for Murrel (Korramatta or Korrameenu in Telugu), the State Fisheries Department has written a letter to the ICAR to share the technological knowhow and for training the officials and fish farmers of the State.
“Since they developed the technology, we will tie up with them and a MoU would be signed to this effect. We have identified a farm at Koilsagar for trial and seed production is being attempted. If the trial proves to be successful, we shall start seed production at various places in the State.
They would be doing a feasibility study at the farm, which would be the first-of-its kind in the State. We wrote a letter seeking transfer of technology. If their visit proves successful, we shall be sending some of our officials and farmers to Orissa,” said a higher official of Fisheries Department.
Even though the fish production for 2016-17 was 1.93 lakh tonnes, Murrel’s production is believed to be between 50 and 70 tonnes, which remains a fraction of the total fish production. The production remains meagre even when compared to production of freshwater prawn, which was 5,189 tonnes, during the same period. Officials point out that since Murrel is naturally produced, it remains a ‘pricey catch’.
On an average, the yield remains three to four quintals per 1,000 acre of pond. Another reason for low production is its ‘cannibalistic’ behaviour, as it feeds on its own species for survival. “If there is 200 grams of fish, it will feed on 50 grams of its own species. Hence, if a hectare of pond is supplied with 5,000 seeds, after five to six months, hardly a couple of hundreds survive,” said the official.
By Md Nizamuddin
