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Success Story

The story begins in the year 2000, when Mr. Amresh had to return back his village in Bihar as his father was very ill. His college studies stopped in the middle as he had to take care of his family. His father used to do traditional crop and fish farming but there was very less income. It is difficult to run a house from the money that comes from agriculture. About one lakhs of rupees was the yearly profit at that time. He decided to do commercial fisheries consequently, contacted the National Fisheries Development Board at Hyderabad and got training from there. He got knowledge about various benefits of fisheries, importance of breed of fish, fish feed and also about what kind of fish the market needs every day. He started raising the main fish of Bangladesh, Chital. The Chital fish is sold in the market at the rate of Rs. 400 per kg and there is a demand of this fish in the market every day. They bring small fish from Raiganj town area of ​​West Bengal and then release it in their pond. There were two puddles at the time of his father but now seven ponds. Today, six to seven lakh rupees income is generated only from fish.

 

Struggle for new, fresh start –up of Fisheries

When Mr. Amresh returned to his village after getting training from Hyderabad, the local people said that there was no demand for such fish in the market, regarding the species of fish they wanted to raise in the pond. When he went to market the fish for the first time, he felt disappointed but within a year he started following the fish according to the market demand and now the fish of his own pond is in high demand in the local fish market. According to him, good breeds for fisheries include rohu, silver carp, katla, muragal, grass carp etc. and for starting, one should easily buy these breeds for fisheries. For this one can contact the Fisheries Development Agency of district, which is there in every districts and from there anyone can get more information about it.

He told about the diet of fish that, it is best to prepare rice flour after that, add some quantity of water to the rice flour and make its tablets: the fish eat this with great fervour. Wheat flour tablets can also be used. Along with this, will get many things to feed these fish from around you, such as mustard husk, and can also prepare it at home. The fish weighs one or one and a half kilos within a year. As soon as the weight of the fish is one to one and a half kilos, understand that the fish is ready to go to your market. Mr. Amresh has created employment opportunity of 30 labours worth 9000 rupees per day from fisheries. He not only doing one enterprises i.e. fishery but also cultivates cash crop i.e. bamboo, various fruits like mango, litchi; various vegetables and also maintain livestock in integrated Farming System Mode.

Mr. Amresh is associated with the Bamboo Mission. Now he has become the largest farmer producing bamboo in Katihar district. He told that as Bamboo is a cash crop, so every farmer must plant bamboo in some part. He told that he cultivate bamboo in 13 acres, which earns me Rs 3 lakh in a year. He told “planting bamboo in an acre, in five years it becomes worth cutting and it gives a good amount” and also informed that planting bamboo at a distance from fish pond has many advantages, as bamboo does not shade and it also protects the pond. Mango and litchi both these fruits dominate over local market. Also, there is a good income. He also told that if there were ten litchi trees, then it will give at least 20 thousand rupees in a year. By beekeeping in mango-litchi orchards, this is another source of income.

In 2000, Amresh`s family`s income from farming was only one and a half lakh rupees, but today they earn up to 12 lakh rupees from fish, bamboo, mango-litchi and vegetable cultivation. Mr. Amresh is now proud of the fact that he takes his children outside for study only because of doing  farming.  His income is so much that they take the children for vacation to the mountains etc. He said that now he is not sad that he could not become a mechanical engineer but happy to be a farmers. As a farmer, he is satisfied with his life. He also told that the profession of farming is not bad. He teaches both of his children in Darjeeling from farming income. He said that he left studies but with this new approach of farming, both of his children will complete their studies. He is very much satisfied with his work.

Amresh`s advice for other Farmers

Amresh said farmers have to be smart that those associated with the profession of farming should cultivate traditional farming as well as keeping the market in mind. “Vegetables and fish are two things that will give you money every day. All we need is to stick to your form. Also keep a small puddle and fish. He should send all kinds of fish market so that the money keeps coming”. The farmer has to become aware. Government schemes have to be taken advantage of. It is true that there are problems in getting benefits of government schemes, but if the farmer wants, then nothing is impossible. The farmer himself must take a pledge that he will not buy anything for his plate from the market. Whether it is a daily vegetable or oil-spice, the farmer should produce it all. ” A farmer having enough land, he has an obligation to give employment to other people too.

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scccess story of Mr Amresh Chaudhary.pdf