Guwahati: Himachal Pradesh has emerged as a leading supplier of high-quality rainbow trout-eyed ova to other hill states like Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
The Department of Fisheries, Himachal Pradesh, has actively supported farmers in Kullu in supplying eyed ova to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Under various schemes, trout hatchery farmers have supplied 9.05 lakh rainbow trout-eyed ova to Uttarakhand alone this fiscal.
The Department of Fisheries has produced 12.60 lakh rainbow trout-eyed ova and 1.74 lakh brown trout-eyed ova from the eight government-run farms in the current fiscal.
Eyed ova means a stage in developing eggs of rainbow trout when the embryo shows eyes as dark spots.
With breeding still in progress, the total eyed ova production is expected to surpass 20 lakh, a significant increase from last year’s 15.79 lakh in the government sector.
Additionally, the private sector is expected to contribute an equivalent volume, with nine functional hatcheries in Kullu, Mandi and Sirmour districts collectively targeting a production of 20 lakh eyed ova.
The overall trout production in the state, which stood at 1,402 metric tonnes in 2023-24, is projected to reach 1,600 metric tonnes in 2024-25.
To further boost rainbow trout production in the state’s cold-water regions, the Fisheries Department has established a cold-water Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) unit at the Trout Farm in Patlikuhal, Kullu. A similar unit has been set up in the private sector and both are now operational.
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These initiatives are expected to immensely enhance cold-water aquaculture in the state, said Vivek Chandel, director of the Fisheries Department.
In the coming week, an additional 3 lakh rainbow trout fries will be shipped, further strengthening aquaculture initiatives in Uttarakhand.
