Farm breeds 60 types of fish

Tuticorin: A drive to Sakkammalpuram situated about 20 kilometres from here will lead to Rajan and Co. Aqua Garden, an ornamental fish farm run by G. Saravanan (29).Situated on one-acre plot, the farm breeds 60 varieties of ornamental fish and fetches him about Rs 60,000 a month.Born in an agrarian household, Mr. Saravanan’s life changed after he attended a course on ‘ornamental fish culture’ at Fisheries College and Research Institute (FCRI) here a couple of years ago. He says that the programme, completed under the tutelage of professor J.D. Jameson, gave him a perspective about farming techniques and the ways to explore market segments.

With a capital of Rs. 10 lakh, most of which was borrowed and a portion procured as credit under the Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana, the farm was opened in 2002.Now the grange is equipped with 80 glass tanks and 120 cement tanks to breed and nurture ornamental fish.Valuable varieties such as ‘African cichlids’, which cost up to Rs. 1,200 a pair, and ‘Discus,’ which cost Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 5,000 a pair, are bred here.To maintain an eco-friendly atmosphere, Mr. Saravanan refrains from using chemicals to breed fish.

“Diseases, if traced, are cured promptly in consultation with the Dean of FCRI, V.K. Venkataramani,” he says.He now plans to breed ‘Scleropags formosus,’ an ornamental fish used for ‘vaasthu’ purposes, on a large-scale.“Our market survey says that a lot of people believe that the fish can bring luck to their houses. A single fish will cost Rs. 25,000,” he says.He also adds that authorities are offering him power at commercial rates, though fish farming is being considered on a par with other agriculture activities.“We need a lot of power to circulate water in the tanks and to draw groundwater,” he says.