Pond Water Fish Farming

Pond Fish Farming
	Fish Farming is an age old activity and in practice from ancient times. The concept of composite fish culture was developed by ICAR in late seventies under a coordinated composite fish culture project. This comprises the culture of 3 indigenous species of fish viz. rohu, catla and mrigal and 3 exotic fish i.e silver carp, grass carp and common carp, keeping in view their different food habit and habitat. This practice has been very well accepted by the farmers of Haryana as its cultural practices are analogous to agriculture. The successful fish culture requires ploughing of pond, addition of manure, stocking of fish seed; eradication of unwanted aquatic plants and animals, watering the pond; harvesting the crop and marketing of the produce. The fish culture technologies and economics are simple and understandable to the fish farmers. To produce one kilogram fish, the requirements are:- - one cubic meter water - one kilogram manure and 100 gm inorganic fertilizer - one kilogram supplementary feed - and one year time Cost of production of fish is Rs. 18/kg and the sale price on an average is Rs.50/- per kg. A net profit of Rs.180000 per hectare per year is obtained, The pond fish culture practice is being adopted by farmers in all the districts of the state. There are 18000 fish culture units having an area of more than 16921.69 hectares in the state. The ownership of these ponds vested with the panchayats. Panchayat leases out their ponds to the farmer's for fish farming. These village ponds are generally visited by cattle for drinking water. The cattle refuse dung and urine in the pond. The organic waste released by the cattle are recycled into manure and help in the production of plankton which is basic food for fish. Thus all the village fish culture ponds in Haryana are the good example of fish cum cattle farming. With the passage of time, the farmers have modified the technologies as per the need. Generally Rohu,catla, mrigal and common carp are used for culture. The stocking density is kept at 20000 fish seed per hectare. Farmers have adopted the technique of multiple harvesting. which give better returns. Govt. provides 20% subsidy to general category while 25% to scheduled caste fish farmers for excavation of new pond/ renovation of old pond and fisheries inputs. Economics of Fish Farming a) Expenditure Rs. Construction of Pond,Water Supply Channel, Installation of Tubewell/Renovation/Lease Amount 25000 Electricity & Water charges 17500 Cost of 250Kg Lime 1000 20000 Fish Seeds 1500 Organic Fertilizer 10000 Inorganic Fertilizer 5000 Supplimentry feed 30000 Medicine, Fishing, Watch & Ward 10000 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 100000 b) Income Sale of 6000 KG Fish @ 50 KG at pond site 300000 c) Net Income (B-A) 200000 Note:- The Income may vary on the productivity and market price of a pond

Freshwater Fish Farming

Freshwater Fish Farming- Small Scale

India is a large producer of inland fish, ranking next only to Japan.

With an abundance of freshwater resources, India has still not been able to tap even 30% of the potential area for inland fish production. Many entrepreneurs have, however, chosen to take this occupation on commercial scale. This is best manifested in Andhra Pradesh, which with 10,56,000 tons of inland fish production in 2007-08 ranked next only to West Bengal, which is far more endowed with water resources. Andhra Pradesh has emerged among the ranks encouraging farmers to form cooperatives to take up farming in ponds around Kolleru lake.

Both the central and state governments have come up with schemes to help the cause of the farmers.

Fish culture in pondsOut of the total inland fish production of over 3.6 million metric tons, more than 60% is contributed by fish culture in ponds and reservoirs. The average productivity from ponds on the national level is around 2,500 kg/ha/year, though in Andhra Pradesh and Haryana it is more than 5,000 kg/ha/year, while in some other states like Bihar and UP it is anywhere between 1,500 and 2,500 kg/ha/year. Fish culture is adopted by all kinds of farmers – small and marginal ones, relatively larger farmers and those who do it on commercial scale. Sizes of ponds also depend on how affluent the farmers are. Ponds less than 100 square meters in area prove unsustainable, while those above 1 hectare are expensive for small players. Many farmers in Tamil Nadu, for instance, use ponds of sizes 30 feet by 30 feet to make their living. On the other hand, a water spread of anything less than 10 hectares in Andhra Pradesh is treated as a pond

Indian major carps – rohu, catla and mrigal
Exotic carps – silver carp, grass carp, common carp
Catfish – magur, ari, singhi.
Tilapia – also known as kowai.
Trout – golden mahseer, silver mahseer, silver grey mahseer and black mahseer.

Ponds can be perennial or seasonal. While seasonal ponds can be used for short-term fish culture, provided they retain water for at least four to five months, perennial ponds are suited for fish culture on a larger scale. Since water dries up in a few months, seasonal ponds are easy to harvest fish. Any perennial pond retaining water depth of 2 meters can be used for fish culture. Dr Gopinath Sai, executive director (technical), National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), says a water level of 3 to 4 feet is preferable, even in summer. Fish farming can be practiced on scientific lines in perennial ponds only, though seasonal ponds can be used to cultivate fry. Though different pond shapes are being adopted by farmers, rectangular ponds are easier to work on, Sai points out. He says freshwater fish culture is a very profitable business provided farmers take up this on scientific lines. Quality of soil, water, fish seed and fish food needs to be of reasonably good quality to have better yields. The soil for ponds should be able to retain water, and hence clayey soil is preferable. The water should not be acidic in nature, nor should it be highly alkaline. It should be treated with appropriate quantity of lime. Provision for inlets and outlets should be made in ponds, as Sai and C Ratnamachari, joint director, Inland Fisheries, Andhra Pradesh, says.

However, Ranjit, a fish farmer from Bihar, now into fish culture and retail trading in Delhi, says, “We do not know about any inlets or outlets in our ponds but we manage a good catch despite that.”

Ponds are not the natural habitat of fish; it is rivers and canals. This makes it imperative for farmers to provide food from outside and also create a desirable environment. Fish food is provided in the form of oil cakes and rice bran. But to create conditions suitable for other organisms to grow inside ponds, fertilizers need to be applied. A combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers is ideal, Ratnamachari says. Their application depends on the soil quality to a great extent.

Economics of Fish Culture in Ponds (for 1ha, up to 1m excavation)
Items	Amount (inRs)
A. Fixed costs
Excavation of one hectare land (10,000 cubic meter land to the depth of one meter @Rs 20/cubic meter	200000
Construction of inlet and outlet to ponds	40000
Equipment and gears	15000
Total fixed costs	255000
B. Recurring costs
Lime 500 kg @ Rs 7/kg	3500
Fingerlings 5,000 in number @ Rs 600 for every 1000	3000
Organic manure (cow dung) 15 tons @ Rs 400/ton	6000
Urea 330 kg @ Rs 7/kg	2310
Super phosphate 165 kg @ Rs 6/kg	990
Ammonium sulphate 63 kg @ Rs 6/kg	378
Mustard oil cake 1350 kg@Rs 12/kg	16200
Rice bran 1350 kg @ Rs 4/kg	5400
Insurance cost @ 4% of seed and fertilizers	1200
Miscellaneous including harvesting, security of ponds, etc.	8000
Total recurring cost	46978
Total cost	301978
Income
Production (from second year onwards ) (in kg)	3000
Sale price (per kg)	45
Total Income (from second year onwards) (in Rs)	135000
Net income for first seven years
Net Income in first year	-301978
Net Income in second year	88022
Net Income in third year	88022
Net Income in fourth year	88022
Net Income in fifth year	88022
Net Income in sixth year	88022
Net Income in seventh year	88022
Source: Updated from NABARD

Rajat Sharma of Haryana Fisheries Department has a simple mathematics for fish farming, which he says is followed by most fish farmers in the state. He says what is needed to produce for 1 kilogram of fish is 1 cubic meter water, 1 kilogram of organic manure, 100 grams of inorganic fertilizer, 1 kilogram of supplementary feed and three fish seeds. Farmers, he says, should wait for one year for the fish to mature. According to his calculation, investment needed for 1 kilogram of fish is anywhere between Rs 15 and 25. The sale price of 1 kilogram of fish to wholesalers is anywhere between Rs 40 and 50, ensuring more than double the income.

Being a state subject, the fisheries department also helps farmers get the right quality fingerlings. Private hatcheries have also come up in several parts of the country and government schemes are also aiding this process. Fingerlings must be free from disease because one infected fish may cause widespread damage. Polyculture in ponds is the dominant production system in most parts of the country. Carps, both Indian and exotic, contribute to almost 80% of the produce from ponds. Rohu, katla, mrigal and magur are the favorite pond fish varieties.

Harvesting and marketingEntrepreneurs are experimenting integrating fish farming with other animal husbandry activities like dairy, poultry, piggery or duck rearing to ensure a regular supply of organic manure to the fish pond. According to a research paper published by the Center of Freshwater Aquaculture, these measures have often succeeded in increasing productivity by almost 10 tons per hectare per year. They also use aerators to increase oxygen supply in ponds. Despite these, farmers, particularly small farmers, have been seen to be quite impatient when it comes to harvesting. They start harvesting fish from the end of three or four months in most parts of the country. For farmers depending on seasonal ponds, this is more a compulsion. But experts like Ratnamachari call this practice unscientific when farmers using perennial ponds resort to do the same. He says, “Harvesting should be done after the end of first year.”

Harvesting can be done either by partially draining water out of the pond through an outlet point, or by repeat netting. It is preferable when the fish attain an average weight of 750 grams, though common species can attain weight in excess of a few kilos. Some ponds in Rajasthan and Haryana supply freshwater fish weighing more than 2 kg to Delhi and other neighboring states on daily basis, as Ranjit points out. He says, “I procure fish from Haryana where there are a number of ponds in and around Rohtak and beyond.”

Ornamental Fish Culture

- India has over 100 varieties of freshwater ornamental fish which can be cultured in ponds.

- 85% of the trade in ornamental fish in India is done from the north-eastern states.

- Rest comes from the south Indian states.

- India's share in global trade less than 1%

- Domestic market for ornamental fish is growing at 20 percent annually.

- Domestic market is currently worth over Rs 500 million.

- Indian ornamental fish species can be classified into live-bearer types (they do not lay eggs, but reproduce free-swimming offsprings) and egg-layer types.

- Most popular of the live-bearer ornamental fish species are guppies, molly, sword tail and platy.

- Most important egg-layer types include goldfish, koi carp, zebra danio, red-line torpedo and angelfish.

- These are exported mainly to Singapore and Hong Kong.

Fish is a perishable commodity and cannot be kept for a long period of time without proper arrangements of preserving them. This is what big farmers from Andhra Pradesh have been doing for the past few years. They have managed to sell their fish in almost all corners of the country. However, there is another method of marketing resorted to these days. Instead of preserving fish, some traders have mastered the know-how to carry them alive to the market. For instance, you can find live fish in Delhi brought from Rajasthan and Haryana. Initially, the quantities used to be less, but with better means at disposal, large quantities of such fish are brought into market. Ranjit says, “This ensures better price for farmers as well as traders. I get my supply from ponds in Sultanpur in Haryana.” He, however, adds that distance is no more a big factor. “I can fetch you live fish from Bihar as well, and that too in the quantity you demand.”

For every big trader and fish farmer, there are many small and marginal farmers who have been selling their catch in local markets for ages. They earn more out of the trade involved with their catch, something big farmers are not able to do. The bargaining power of small farmers reduce considerably when they sell their catch in the local market. These farmers have also started to sell their produce in nearby towns where they get relatively better rates. Big farmers hardly ever follow this route, and they sell their catch to wholesalers, who pass it on to local suppliers from whom the retailers buy. This has remained the same even when live fish have been carried over long distances.

Problems with fish culture“The biggest problem with fish culture is the possibility of diseases,” Sai points out. Fish can be infected with fungal, bacterial, ulcer or worm diseases. It is, however, easy to spot infected fish as they become weak and lethargic, and often come to the surface of the water to breathe. In eye diseases, for instance, their eyes become opaque. Infected fish can have open spores on the body, and can also have their scales dropping, something Ranjit says caused him huge losses when he used to cultivate fish. Treatments are available in the form of treating the water with potassium permanganate solution, or with acetic acid and normal salt. Copper sulphate solution and chloromycetin are also used to treat some other diseases.

Any unusual feeding behavior of fish should be taken seriously. It is best to prevent diseases, as once infected, the fish population in a pond can be wiped out, causing big losses of both money and time for farmers. Another problem area can be marketing. Fish procured from ponds are perishable goods. To keep the stock fresh and fit enough to be sold in markets, suitable ice containers and cold storages are essential. It is also mandatory to have good transportation links to main wholesale markets. These are expensive affairs and big entrepreneurs can afford it, but it is not possible for individual farmers. Fish cooperatives assume significance in these circumstances, and also explain why Andhra Pradesh has been more successful than other Indian states.

The futureThe central government has come up with schemes in association with state governments from time to time to support fish culture. Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture was one such scheme launched during the 10th Plan. Under the scheme, whose cost is borne by the central and the state governments in the ratio of 75:25, farmers are given assistance for building ponds. A subsidy of 20% is given assuming cost for constructing a pond in plain areas is Rs 200,000 per hectare and at Rs 300,000 per hectare in hilly regions. For people from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes subsidy is a little higher at 25%. If an existing pond is to be renovated, subsidy is given at 20% assuming cost of Rs 60,000 per hectare. Details of these can be checked on the URL: http://dahd.nic.in/fish/inlandfish.htm.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) also refinances the banks extending loans to fisheries cooperatives or to entrepreneurs involved in fish culture. The formation of the Fish Farmers’ Development Agencies (FFDAs) was another major scheme launched by the Ministry of Agriculture in the 1970s. These agencies provide financial, technical and other support to beneficiaries at district level throughout India. Training is also provided through the NFDB. Sai says that the NFDB conducts training for officials from fisheries departments and various NGOs involved with fish farmers. They pass knowledge gained on to the farmers in the field.

India produces in excess of 3.6 million metric tons of freshwater fish, but a lot of potential lies untapped. While the area covered by rivers cannot be added, fish production through ponds can definitely be increased by several notches. Fortunately, the stakeholders in the fish business realize this. India has, therefore, fixed a target of over 5.5 million metric tons of freshwater fish catch by 2020. However, more capital investment and technological knowledge is required. There is a need for better resource management and community intervention in all places where fish culture is practiced or can be practiced. Rain-fed areas should also be utilized to cultivate fish. As far as markets are concerned, communication systems among fishermen’s cooperatives controlling marketing need to be enhanced. This would be beneficial not only for farmers, but also for consumers.

Composite Fish Culture- Large Scale

Introduction :  Fish is the cheapest and most easily digestible animal protein and was obtained from natural sources from time immemorial for consumption by human beings. However, due to over exploitation and pollution, the availability of fish in natural waters have declined considerably forcing scientists to adopt various methods to increase its production. Fish farming in controlled or under artificial conditions has become the easier way of increasing the fish production and its availability for consumption. Farmers can easily take up fish culture in village ponds, tanks or any new water body and can improve their financial position substantially. It also creates gainful employment for skilled and unskilled youths. The technology developed for fish culture in which more than one type of compatible fishes are cultured simultaneous is the most advanced and popular in the country. This technology is known as Composite Fish Culture. This technology enables to get maximum fish production from a pond or a tank through utilization of available fish food organisms in all the natural niches, supplemented by artificial feeding. Any perennial fresh water pond/tank retaining water depth of 2 metres can be used for fish culture purpose. However, the minimum level should not fall below one metre. Even seasonal ponds can also be utilised for short duration fish culture. 1.1. Fish species involved in composite fish culture Depending on the compatibility and type of feeding habits of the fishes, the following types of fishes of Indian as well as Exotic varieties have been identified and recommended for culture in the composite fish culture technology: Species Feeding habit Feeding zone Indian Major Carp Catla Zoo plankton feeder Surface feeder Rohu Omnivorous Column feeder Mrigal Detritivorous Bottom feeder Exotic carps Silver carp Phytoplankton feeder Surface feeder Grass carp Herbivorous Surface, column and marginal areas Common carp Detritivorous/Omnivorous Bottom feeder 2. Potential :The area under tanks and ponds available for warm fresh water aquaculture is estimated to be 2.41 million ha. In addition 0.1.31 million ha of swamps, beels, etc. and low lying water logged area not good for agriculture as also any land where there is copious water supply can be converted for fish farming. Out of the total inland fish production  of 4.7  lakh tonnes around 80% is contributed by the culture sector. The average productivity from ponds at present is to the tune of 2500 kg/ha/year. This shows the tremendous scope for fish culture in the country.  Only 15 % of the of the potential area of tanks and ponds available is developed so far, showing immense possibilities for horizontal expansion of composite fish culture. 3. Technical Parameters : Technical parameters of composite fish culture has been enclosed as Annexure E - I which includes site selection, items of development, pre and post stocking operations, stocking density, fertilisation, feeding etc. 4. Margin: The margin money may be considered @ 5,10 & 15% for small, medium and large farmer respectively and 25% for companies and partnership firms. 5. Subsidy Subsidy is available for various items like renovation/ repair  of ponds, construction of new ponds, first year inputs etc. under a centrally sponsored subsidy scheme implemented by majority of the State Governments through FFDA's for different categories of farmers and also from National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) details of which may be obtained from concerned Fisheries Departments or from the website of NFDB www. nfdb.ap.nic.in respectively. 6. Eligible Borrowers The following category of borrowers are eligible to avail credit. a) An Individual. b) A company. c) A Partnership firm. d) A co-operative society. e) A group of fish farmers. Training in fish farming is being provided by the FFDA's to the eligible borrowers and it is essential that the borrower has prior knowledge of fish farming before availment of bank loan. 7. Financial Outlay : The details of Capital Cost and Recurring Cost have been indicated in Annexure - II. As per Annexure E - II the capital cost for excavation of 1 Ha pond works out to be Rs1.065 lakh /- and the recurring cost as Rs 1.113 lakh /-. However, the cost is indicative and actual assessment of the cost parameters have to be done while submitting the project to the bank. 8. Financial Analysis: The scheme is financially viable and the financial parameters are as follows i). NPW @ 15% Rs: 4.005 lakh ii). BCR @ 15% 1.54 : 1 iii). IRR   above 50% The details of the financial viability viz; Cash flow , IRR BCR are given in Annexure E-  III. 9. Repayment  Repayment of bank loan is possible in 8 years in equated annual insatments with a moratorium on repayment of principal for the first year . A tentative repayment schedule is given in Annexure  E -IV 10. Rate of interest Interest rate to be charged to the ultimate borrowers would be as indicated by bank/RBI/NABARD from time to time depending on quantum of loan amount and the agency providing the loan 11. Security Security from the ultimate beneficiaries may be obtained as per the guidelines of RBI issued from time to time. 12. Rate of Refinance NABARD provides refinance assistance for fish culture to Commercial banks, Cooperative banks and Regional Rural Banks. The  rate of refinance is fixed by NABARD from time to time. .  Annexure  E- I Technical Parameters  Technical parameters that needs to be considered for Composite Fish Culture project are as follows : 1. Selection of Pond: The main criteria to be kept in mind while selecting the pond is that the soil should be water retentive, adequate supply of water is assured and that the pond is not in a flood prone area. Derelict, semi derelict or swampy ponds can be renovated for fish culture by dewatering, desilting,repair of the embankments and provision of inlet and outlet. The pond may be owned by the individual or taken on lease in which case the lease period should be more or coterminous with the repayment period. The eligible items of pond development are as follows:   i) Desilting of existing ponds ii) Deepening of shallow ponds. iii) Excavation of new ponds. iv) Impoundment of marginal areas of water bodies. v) Construction / repairs of embankments. vi) Construction of Inlets / Outlets. vii) Any other item like civil structures, watchmen sheds, pump sets water supply arrangements / electricity supply arrangements etc. depending on requirements of the project based on its size etc. 2. Pond Management: Pond Management plays a very important role in fish farming before and after the stocking of fish seed. Various measures that are required to be undertaken in pre and post stocking practices are tabulated below : A) Prestocking: In case of new ponds, pre stocking operations starts with liming and filling of the pond with water. However, the first step for existing pond requiring development deals with clearing the pond of unwanted weeds and fishes either by manual, mechanical or chemical means. Different methods are employed for this. i) Removal of weeds by Manual/Mechanical or through Chemical means. ii) Removal of unwanted and predatory fishes and other animals by repeated netting or using mahua oil cake @ 2500 kg/ha metre or by sun drying the pond bed. iii) Liming - The soils/ tanks which are acidic in nature are less productive than alkaline ponds. Lime is used to bring the pH to the desired level. In addition lime also has the following effects - a) Increases the pH. b) Acts as buffer and avoids fluctuations of pH. c) It increases the resistance of soil to parasites. d) Its toxic effect kills the parasites; and e) It hastens organic decomposition. The normal doses of the lime desired ranges from 200 to 250 Kg/ha. However, the actual dose has to be calculated based on pH of the soil and water as follows : Soil pH Lime (kg/ha) 4.5-5.0 2,000 5.1-6.5 1,000 6.6-7.5 500 7.6-8.5 200 8.6-9.5 Nil The pond is required to be filled with rain water or water from other sources after liming in case it is a new pond. iv) Fertilisation/ Manuring : Fertilisation of the pond is an important means for intensifying fish culture by increasing the natural productivity of the pond. The fertilisation schedule has to be prepared after studying the quality of the pond soil. A combination of both Organic and Inorganic fertilisers may be used for best results. The fertiliser programme has to be suitably modified depending on the growth of the fish, available food reserve in the pond, physico chemical conditions of the pond and climatic conditions.   a) Organic b) Inorganic : : : Organic manure to be applied after a gap of 3 days from the date of liming. Cowdung @ 5000 kg/ha or any other organic manure in equivalent manurial value Inorganic fertilisation to be undertaken after 15 days of organic manuring. Requirement of nitrogenous and phosphate fertilisers would vary as per the nature of the soil fertility indicated below. However any one of the nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers could be used as per given rate. Inorganic Fertiliser Application (kg/ha/month) Soil fertility status Ammonium sulphate Urea 1. Nitrogen (mg/100 g soil) i) High (51-75) ii) Medium (26-50) iii) Low (upto 25) 70 90 140 30 40 60 2. Phosphorus (mg/100 gm soil) Single super phosphate Triple super Phosphate i) High (7-12) ii) Medium (4-6) iii) Low (upto 3) 40 50 70 15 20 30 B) STOCKING: The pond will be ready for stocking after 15 days of application of fertilisers. Fish fingerlings of 50- 100 gm size (approx) should be used for stocking @ 5000 nos. per hectare. However, if fingerlings of smaller size are used, suitable allowance may be made accounting for mortality. The present model envisages stocking of advanced fingerlings and rearing for 10-12 months.Depending on availability of seed and market condition, stocking can be of 3, 4 or 6 species combination in the following ratio. Species combination (ratio) Species 3-species 4-species 6-species Catla 4.0 3.0 1.5 Rohu 3.0 3.0 2.0 Mrigal 3.0 2.0 1.5 Silver Carp - - 1.5 Grass Carp - - 1.5 Common Carp - 2.0 2.0 Since the market demand for  Indian major carps are  very good especially that of  Catla and Rohu, the model is prepared based on the stocking of Indian major carps alone in the stocking density mentioned above. C POST STOCKING: a) Supplementary feeding: Fishes need much more food than what is available naturally in the pond. Fishes can be fed with a mixture of rice bran and oilcakes in the ratio 4:1. Due to the high cost of Ground nut Oil Cake (GOC) farmers have tried using  alternate sources like Cotton seed oil cake which is comparatively cheaper than GOC. GOC and cotton seed oil cake  can be mixed in equal proportions and fed to the fish and is reported to give almost the same growth rate as that of GOC. The feed should be placed on a feeding  tray  or in feeding bags and lowered to the pond bottom or it can be dispersed at the corners of the pond. After some time the fishes will get used to this type of feeding and aggregate at the same place at particular time for regular feeding thereby reducing the feed losses. The recommended feeding rate is 5 - 6 % of the body weight upto 500gm size of fish and then reduce to 3.5% of body weight from 500- 1000gm size . The feeding is supplementary in nature. b) Manuring: i)  Organic manuring may be done in monthly instalments @ 1000 kg/ha. ii)  Inorganic fertilisation may be done at monthly intervals alternating with organic manuring. However, the monthly rate of fertilisation will depend on pond productivity and the growth of the fishes. It should be ensured that excess fertilisation does not take place which may result in eutrophication. c) Harvesting: Harvesting is generally done at the end of 1 st year, when the fishes attain average weight of 800 gm to 1.25 kg. With Proper management a production of 4 to 5 tons/ha can be obtained in a year. Harvesting is done by partial dewatering and repeated netting. In some cases complete dewatering of ponds is resorted to.  Some farmers resort to partial harvesting also depending on the season and demand for fish. 3) Vertical expansion of fish culture: A number of measures are now being employed by the entrepreneurs to increase the per hectare production of fish. Important measures adopted are stocking of advanced fingerlings / yearlings by stunning the growth of fish seed during first year, heavy stocking and multiple harvesting after the fishes attain a size of 500 gms., multiple stocking and multiple harvesting, use of aerators, integrated fish farming with animal husbandry activities like dairy, poultry, piggery or duckery to get daily organic manuring to the pond thus increasing its fertility. It is possible to increase the per hectare production of fish to 7 to 10 tonnes per ha per year by employing different methods as indicated above.  Annexure E- II  Indicative cost of composite fish culture A Capital Cost Amount Rs S.No Particulars Units Quantum Rate (Rs.) Total 1 Site clearance LS 3000 3000 2 Construction of pond including digging, bund construction and compaction and consolidation Hrs 40 1200 48,000 3 Diesel Pump Set 3 HP 1 30000 30,000 4 Inlet/outlet sluices L/S 5,000 5 Store Room/rest room Sq ft 80 150 12,000 6 Nets and other implements L/S 5,000 7 Miscellaneous L/S 3,500 Total "A" 106,500 B  Operational cost for one crop ( one year ) 1 Drying, desilting and plouging LS LS LS 3000 2 Lime Kgs 500 5.00 2,500 3 Single Super Phosphate Kgs 250 5.00 1,250 4 Urea Kg 125 5.00 625 5 Raw Cow Dung Tons 10 500.00 5,000 6 Fish Seed  Catla (2000), Rohu(1500)  and Mrigal (1500)@Rs 5 each Nos 5,000 5.00 25,000 7 Fish Feed  Kg 6,000 12.00 72,000 9 Harvesting charges per kg 4000 0.50 2,000 10 Miscellaneous LS LS 1,000 Total "B" 112,375 Total A +B 218,875 Annexure E III   Financial analysis, IRR, BCR                                                                  Rs in lakh A. Cost Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 1. Fixed Costs 1.065 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 2. Recurring Costs 1.124 1.124 1.124 1.124 1.124 1.124 1.124 1.124 Total 2.189 1.124 1.124 1.124 1.124 1.124 1.124 1.124 1. Income from sale of fish 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2. Net Income  -0.189 0.876 0.876 0.876 0.876 0.876 0.876 0.876 3. NPV Costs 7.444 4. NPV Benefits 11.449 5. NPV +4.005 6. BCR 1.54:1 D. IRR >50 %

Annexure E- IV Repayment Schedule  Total financial Outlay      -   Rs 2.189 lakh Margin  (15%)                 -    Rs 0.328 lakh Rate of interest               -    12% Bank Loan                      -     Rs 1.860 lakh

Year Net Income Interest Principal Total Bank loan Net DSCR outgo O/S Surplus 1 0.876 0.223 0.000 0.223 1.860 0.653 3.925 2 0.876 0.223 0.265 0.488 1.595 0.388 1.795 3 0.876 0.191 0.265 0.456 1.330 0.420 1.920 4 0.876 0.160 0.265 0.425 1.065 0.452 2.063 5 0.876 0.128 0.265 0.393 0.800 0.483 2.230 6 0.876 0.096 0.265 0.361 0.535 0.515 2.427 7 0.876 0.064 0.265 0.329 0.270 0.547 2.661 8 0.876 0.032 0.270 0.302 0.000 0.574 2.896

Repayment 8 years with one year grace on payment of principal