CONSTRAINTS AND PROSPECTS OF FISH FARMING IN LALMONIRHAT DISTRICT

Abstract

The present study was conducted to know the constraints and prospects of fish farming in Lalmonirhat district of Bangladesh. The data were collected from 100 fish farmers through questionnaire interview for a period of four months from July 2014 to October 2014. Most of the ponds were perennial (72%) with an average size of 0.41 ha and a depth of 1.69 m. All the fish farmers practiced mostly carp polyculture system using different aquaculture inputs like fertilizer, feed, seed, and chemicals. They were usually found to collect fish seed from neighboring districts, mainly Bogra and Mymensingh. The main constrains were availability of quality seed, lack of scientific and technical knowledge, lack of manpower, outbreak of fish diseases, lack of credit facilities, high price of various inputs, low fish price, theft of fish and poisoning the pond water. Though there were many constraints, the fish production from aquaculture sector was increasing gradually in the study area. The total fish production from aquaculture in 2014 was projected 10,663 MT, while the fish production in 2010 was only 7600.4 MT in Lalmonirhat district. If the constraints could be solved, fish production in the study area would possibly be increased tremendously.