Seven-day rainfall after a prolonged drought and heat wave for a couple of months had brought smile on fish farmers’ faces in Jhenaidah and surrounding districts. The fish farmers belonging to Chuadanga, Jashore, Kushtia, Meherpur, part of Khulna and some districts are happy to witness the rainfall expecting better yield of the spawn, fingerlings and brood fish in the zone. The farmers who had already decided to reduce or stop the fish farming in the season for want of rainfall, had regained their faith and confidence once again as at least 70 millimeters of rainfall was recorded by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Jhenaidah.
Nasir Hossain Liton, a renowned fish farmer also fish trader of Barobazer area in Jhenaidah when contacted at Baluhar Central Fish hatchery, said he usually purchases at least two maunds of spawn from the central hatchery. However, this year he purchased only 10 kilograms as he was determined to reduce the farming when most of the ponds and other waterbodies in his locality went dry for want of rainfall in recent months. But the rainfall in last seven days helped him regain his faith and he was hopeful to nurse the spawn in his all ponds and waterbodies like past years. He will purchase adequate spawn from the hatchery for his ten ponds in the locality, Nasir Hossain Liton said.
Ashraful Islam, manager of country’s largest Baluhar Central Fish hatchery in Kotchandpur of Jhenaidah admitted the fact when contacted. He said, not only the fish farmers, but also the hatchery authorities went in dilemma as they were not in a position to witness optimum rainfall for past couple of months.
But the recent rainfall in a week had regained the mental force of the farmers and concerned people as they were going to culture the fish and other activities normally.The meteorologist had assured of more rainfall in the coming days that will help harvest better fish and fish species in the zone and play significant role in strengthening socio-economic state of the fish farmers, traders and concerned others.
At least 200 fish hatcheries were developed in the region centering the central fish hatchery at Baluhar in Jhenaidah. They will also help meet up the nutritional aspects of protein for the nation,hatchery manager Ashraful Islam said.
