Odisha Farmer Thrives On Fish Pond Cultivation, Know How?

Lingaraj Panda, 52 years of Palashree village, Puri District started farming at the age of 24 after completing LLB. Having failed to get a government job, he persuaded his parents to let him join the family’s agriculture business. He owns 13 acres of agricultural land. Out of this, he does Paddy and Green Gram (moong) cultivation on 8 acres. He has four fish ponds on the rest of 5 acres. 

He has a family of seven and depends entirely on agricultural income. 

Panda relies on the advice given by Reliance Foundation (RF) experts for fish pond cultivation, paddy and moong cultivation. He interacts with them on a regular basis for selection of fertilisers/pest and disease management, seed variety, fish pond feed, disease management and maintaining of pH and alkalinity in the fish ponds.

“I do Rohu, Catla, Mrigal and Grass Carp,” said Panda.

“There are multiple instances of RF Expert advisories on the toll-free helpline No- 1800 419 8800. They help me a lot to increase my productivity and get a profit.” 

“Once during the COVID-19 lockdown period, the fish from 2.5 acres of pond started floating on the topwater of the pond and died after some time. I had never faced such a problem. The RF expert asked me to pour pump water to create more oxygen in the pond and use Potassium permanganate (Potass) 5 to 10 gram per acres and two to four times in a day,” said the farmer.

“I have lost one quintal of fish. But after the RF advisory, I earned 100 quintals from the same pond with an income of Rs 14 lakhs and Rs 7 lakh profit after feeding and management costs. I also saved another fish pond from Argulus attack. It got the pond water tested by using Buttox/Cipermethrin/Formalin at recommended doses and was able to save the rest of the fish,” he added.

Panda used the profit earned for his eldest daughter’s marriage, the studies of the other children’s and taking care of other household expenditures.

“I have dialled the RF toll-free more than 180 times for different advisories and shared it with more than 50 farmers,” he concluded.