Fisheries Dept to farm 1,000 acres of rohu for exports to Bangladesh

Fisheries Department commenced the induced breeding of rohu starting from the first week of August at a fish hatchery in Chaungshay village by the roadside of Minbya-Pauktaw in Rakhine State.  The department is implementing rohu farming on 1,000 acres with an aim to export rohu as the main freshwater fishery product to Bangladesh.
The State is stepping up to improve the livestock sector. As a pilot project, the department under the support of the Rakhine State government established a fish farming zone of commercially important rohu at a place where freshwater fish and shrimp farming is rarely seen.
The department initially implemented a freshwater farming project in freshwater and saltwater farming on 2,500 acres. The company in charge will provide technical and financial assistance to those interested farmers. Rohu from those 1,000 acres will be shipped to neighbouring Bangladesh and a freshwater fish distribution hub is planned to emerge. The Rakhine State government is coordinating matters to facilitate freshwater and saltwater farming.
In the first year of the project, 100 acres of rohu farming are targeted. One hundred more acres will grow every year.   As the fish hatchery developed under Rakhine State’s budget has already existed in Rakhine State, there is no need to place an order from Yangon and Ayeyawady regions. The breeders can easily get fish larvae to ramp up livestock production.
“There is a fish hatchery developed under Rakhine State’s budget in Chaungshay village by the roadside of Minbya and Pauktaw. The induced breeding has now started and fish larvae will be produced in the upcoming months. Initially, about 200,000-300,000 fish larvae are expected to be reproduced.  Freshwater fish farming is seldom found in Rakhine State. The freshwater and saltwater farming zone will create jobs for locals and generate foreign income. The successful production of fish larvae is crucial in fish farming. I am very delighted with the establishment of a fish hatchery in our state. Furthermore, a mixed culture of freshwater prawns and fish will be undertaken as well. Thanks to the support of the Rakhine State government, we will proceed with it,” said U Thet Oo, director of the Rakhine State Fisheries Department.
When the rohu that is exported to Bangladesh can be produced in Rakhine State, it will cut transport charges and maintain the quality of fish. The freshwater rohu is currently supplied by Yangon and Ayeyawady regions. Freshwater fish farming projects will certainly increase the income of the Rakhine State.
Rohu is large enough to be placed in the market after two years of farming. It reaches an over two-kilogramme size in the second year of farming. To create continuous exports, multiple-batch production is practised for one to two months. Beyond freshwater fish farming on 1,000 acres, saltwater fish farming on 1,500 acres will be implemented harmoniously in Rakhine State. — Nyein Thu (MNA)/GNLM