Fish farming expands across 1,375 hectares in Kailali and Kanchanpur

Dhangadhi: Fish farming is actively being conducted over an area of 1,375 hectares in the Kailali and Kanchanpur districts, with annual production currently reaching 10,000 metric tons. The growing demand for fish in the region has led to a rise in production, and the government aims to increase this output to 30,000 metric tons annually within the next decade.

Kailali and Kanchanpur contribute 65 percent of the local fish demand, supported by the provincial government's allocation of Rs 5 crore in the current fiscal year for fish farming infrastructure development. These two districts are home to 242 natural lakes, with 194 in Kailali and 48 in Kanchanpur. Despite their potential for commercial fish farming, many lakes remain underutilized.

Farmers, however, are engaging in fish farming commercially, often in partnership with local authorities and community forests. According to Nirmal Bahadur Khati, head of the Fisheries Development Center in Geta, a total of 2,542 lakes and ponds in the two districts are being used for fish farming, benefiting 5,380 farmers. The productivity of natural lakes is recorded at 2.3 metric tons per hectare.

In addition to provincial efforts, the Prime Minister's Agriculture Modernization Project under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has initiated a Fish Zone Program in Kailali. With a budget of Rs 10 million, the program is being implemented in Dhangadhi Sub-metropolitan City, Kailari Rural Municipality, Ghodaghodi, and Bhajani Municipality this year. The Fisheries Development Center, Geta, is working on further strategies to boost fish production in the region.