By Dr Aynal Haque
RAJSHAHI, Sept 19, 2020 (BSS)- A newly built hatchery in Rajshahi city has
created high hope among the commercially freshwater prawn farmers relating to
furthermore expansion of the lucrative prawn farming in the region.
For the first time, the state-owned hatchery has gone into operation this
year producing around three lakh larvae, said Dr Jinnat Ara Rokeya Chowdhury,
manager of Fish Seed Multiplication Farm.
She said mother shrimps were collected from the Kocha River in Pirojpur
district on May 23 last. Subsequently, those were disinfected and nursed in
brine collected from the coastal belt.
During the entire nursing period, bio-security has been maintained
strictly as it’s very important for post-larvae production from larval stage.
“We got the huge larvae from May 25 to 29 in phases through maintaining
balanced food, temperature, aeration and suitable water quality stringently,”
Dr Jinnat said, adding that around 30 percent survival rate has been attained
in this initiation year.
Around one lakh post-larvae were supplied among farmers in different
districts under Rajshahi division this year.
Continuously, post larva will be produced here though bringing parents
from the saline rivers every breeding season. Farmers can purchase healthy
and quality hatchlings from here at a reasonable price. As a whole, the
hatchery will contribute a lot towards fulfilling the farmers demand.
She mentioned that fluctuation of temperature, bio-security, water
hardness and disruption of power supply are the major challenges to
substantial reduction of mortality rate.
Farm Manager Dr Rokeya, however, expected that an adequate number of
healthy post-larvae could be supplied among the farmers through facing the
existing challenges within the next couple of years.
Earlier, the Department of Fisheries (DoF) has constructed the modern
prawn breeding hatchery at the compound of 3.29-hectare Fish Seed
Multiplication Farm in 2016-17 fiscal year at a cost of around Taka 74.96
lakh with the main thrust of making the farming more popular through removing
the existing prawn seedlings and spawn scarcity.
Meanwhile, commercial farming of freshwater prawn has been gaining
popularity in the region amid lucrative market price and gradually rising
consumers’ demands. Large numbers of farmers are seen farming freshwater
prawn in nursery ponds and water tanks to change their lot.
Matiur Rahman, a farmer of Bonpara village under Boraigram upazila in
Natore district, said he started freshwater prawn farming in 2010 and
attained success. This year, he has cultivated prawn in a 65-decimal pond.
“I collect post-larva and nurse those in the pond. After 40 days, they
become juvenile and I sell those at Tk 25 to 30 per piece to the local
farmers who cultivate those in carp fish farming ponds,” said Rahman.
Abdus Sobhan, another farmer of Kathalbaria village under Paba upazila,
said many farmers collect juvenile prawn from him. Within six months, each of
those weights becomes 120 to 125 grams. In local markets, prawn is now being
sold at Taka 700 to 750 per kilogram, he revealed.
Farmer Shihab Uddin of Shilinda area said prawn farming is gaining
popularity but supply of post-larva is inadequate.
He said steps should be taken to reduce the price of prawn seed and
quality feed. Existing hatchery’s prawn production should be increased
through providing technicians.
Uddin, however, expected that the newly launched hatchery will help to
remove their existing problems of collecting and nursing seedlings. “We are
getting locally harvested prawn for our business purposes,” said Shaheen
Ahmed, manager of Chili’s Chinese Restaurant in the city, adding that
consumers demand is increasing day by day.
“The DoF is intended to expand prawn farming in freshwater bodies through
transferring and disseminating updated technologies to the grassroots
farmers. Demands of hatchlings and fingerlings will be met up through
successful implementation of the projects,” said DoF Divisional Director
Tofaz Uddin.
In addition to farmers’ motivation, the department has set up projection
ponds. The farmers should cultivate shrimp using modern shrimp farming method
as it is a very profitable fish farming sector, he added.