The fish traders of Amritsar import about 3500 kg to 4000 kg fish daily. It is sold in the whole sale fish market that caters to the city and its surrounding areas. The fish traders of Amritsar import fresh water fish from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. The sea fish is imported from Maharashtra. However, the sea fish is available only in winters. It comes through trucks and train.
The fact that there is hardly any local production of fish in Amritsar speaks about ability of the Department of Fisheries to motivate the farmers to take to fish farming. The fish farming is profitable venture owing to the increase in demand in the local market. The influx of migratory labour in the state has also increased the fish demand.
However, despite that very few farmers in the state have ventured into fish farming. About 90 per cent of fish demand in the state is met by import from other states. A few farmers who have diversified into fish farming owing to their own efforts have reported incomes up to Rs 1 lakh per acre. Mr Sukhdeep Bajwa ,a fish farmer,said that there was enough scope for motivating farmers to fish farming. It besides increasing the income of the farmers would also help in sustaining declining water table.
The farmers, however, blame the Department of Fisheries for de-motivating farmers trying to take up fish farming. The farmers following the traditional cropping pattern of wheat and paddy are being given free power. However, farmers who try to diversify to fish farming are forced to pay commercial charges for tubewell connection.
Source: The Tribune