International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology
Citation: IJAEB: 8(2): 405-411 June 2015
DOI Number: 10.5958/2230-732X.2015.00048.0
©2015 New Delhi Publishers. All rights reserved
AGRICULTURE EXTENSION
Optimal Size of Fish Pond for Socio-Economical Development
of Cachar (Assam)
S.ȱSarkar 1 ,ȱAvinashȱKumar 1 ,ȱDeepakȱKumar 2 *,ȱL.ȱNȱSethi 1 , M.ȱMȱHazarika 1 ȱandȱ
G.ȱDas 1
1 Department of Agricultural Engineering, Triguna Sen School of Technology, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India.
2 Department of Hydrology, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee-247667, Uttarakhand, India.
* Corresponding author: deepak.civil.iitdelhi@gmail.com
Paper No. 332
Received: 12 September 2015
Accepted: 26 May 2015
Published: 29 June 2015
Abstract
AquacultureȱisȱoneȱofȱtheȱmainȱsourcesȱofȱlivelihoodȱofȱtheȱstateȱofȱAssamȱinȱtheȱnortheastȱofȱIndia.ȱInȱ
thisȱstudy,ȱCacharȱdistrictȱofȱAssamȱhasȱbeenȱselectedȱtoȱstudyȱandȱassessȱtheȱimpactȱofȱvariousȱsizesȱ
ofȱfishȱfarmȱonȱtheȱeconomicȱconditionȱofȱfarmers.ȱTheȱstudyȱwasȱconductedȱinȱtheȱvillagesȱofȱ5ȱblocksȱ
namelyȱBorjalenga,ȱTapang,ȱNarsingpur,ȱSonaiȱandȱPalonghatȱwithȱanȱobjectiveȱtoȱsuggestȱoptimumȱ
sizeȱofȱtheȱpondȱandȱanalyzeȱtheȱproductionȱrateȱofȱdifferentȱtypeȱofȱfishȱfarm.ȱTheȱdataȱwasȱcollectedȱ
fromȱ aroundȱ 169ȱ farmersȱ byȱ theȱ principleȱ ofȱ participatoryȱ ruralȱ appraisalȱ aȱ methodȱ usedȱ byȱ non-ȱ
governmentalȱorganizations.ȱMostȱofȱtheȱfarmersȱareȱnotȱmuchȱeducatedȱandȱmostȱofȱthemȱlivedȱbelowȱ
povertyȱline.ȱTheȱnumberȱofȱmediumȱsizeȱpondsȱ(0.5ȱtoȱ1ȱhectare),ȱandȱsmallȱfarmȱpondsȱ(betweenȱ0.3ȱ
toȱ0.5ȱhectare)ȱareȱhighestȱfollowedȱbyȱveryȱsmallȱ(lessȱthanȱ0.3ȱhectare)ȱandȱthenȱlargeȱsizeȱpondsȱ(moreȱ
thanȱ1ȱhectare).ȱInȱtheȱstudyȱarea,ȱbothȱexcavatedȱandȱembankmentȱtypeȱpondȱexist.ȱTheȱresultsȱindicateȱ
thatȱevenȱwithȱpossessionȱofȱsmallȱandȱmediumȱsizeȱfishȱfarms,ȱbetterȱannualȱproductionȱrateȱofȱfishȱcanȱ
beȱachievedȱbyȱbetterȱmanagementȱpractices.ȱ83%ȱofȱallȱfishȱfarmsȱinȱCacharȱdistrictȱareȱveryȱsmall,ȱsmallȱ
orȱmediumȱsizeȱfishȱfarms.ȱOnlyȱ17%ȱofȱtheȱfarmsȱareȱofȱlargeȱsize.ȱTheȱannualȱproductionȱisȱremarkablyȱ
goodȱforȱsmallȱandȱmediumȱsizeȱfarms.ȱTheȱresultsȱindicateȱthatȱsmallȱandȱmediumȱfarmȱsizesȱhaveȱ
betterȱannualȱproductionȱrateȱthanȱotherȱfarms.ȱThus,ȱsmallȱtoȱmediumȱfarmsȱareȱeconomicallyȱmoreȱ
viableȱforȱtheȱCacharȱdistrict.
Highlights
Keywords : FishȱFarm,ȱCachar,ȱpondȱsize,ȱaquaculture,ȱparticipatoryȱruralȱappraisal
Fisheriesȱ playȱ anȱ importantȱ roleȱ inȱ theȱ economyȱ importantȱ foodȱ resourcesȱ andȱ goodȱ indicatorsȱ ofȱ
ofȱ Indiaȱ inȱ augmentingȱ foodȱ supply,ȱ generatingȱ theȱecologicalȱhealthȱofȱtheȱwaterȱtheyȱinhabit.ȱFishȱ
employment,ȱraisingȱnutritionalȱlevelȱandȱinȱearningȱ farmingȱinvolvesȱraisingȱfishȱcommerciallyȱinȱtanksȱ
foreignȱ exchange.ȱ Fishesȱ areȱ invariableȱ livingȱ orȱ enclosures,ȱ usuallyȱ forȱ food.ȱ Aquacultureȱ hasȱ
componentsȱ ofȱ waterȱ bodies.ȱ Theseȱ organismsȱ areȱ beenȱaȱfast-growingȱindustryȱbecauseȱofȱsignificantȱ