Fish farmers in Ernakulam hoping for a revival of fortunes during festival season
The Hindu
COVID-19 restrictions and heavy rain adversely affected their income
Fish farmers in the district, who have been at the receiving end of the COVID 19-induced conditions and virtual shutdown in sales over several months, are now looking to a new season of hope with the Christmas-New Year celebrations around the corner and an expected rise in demand for fresh fish.
But, farmers were still struggling to overcome the devastating effects of the unprecedented heavy rain since early January and the rapidly increasing price of fish feed, said Seljan Attipetty, a fish farmer in Kumbalanghi. He said he was quite new to the business of fish farming but hoped to make good use of the emerging festival season, by also making use of social media platforms to market the harvest.
The Palliakkal Service Cooperative Bank near North Paravur has announced freshly-caught farmed fish sales between December 21 and 24. The cooperative has several groups of farmers under its initiative engaged in fish culture, farming, dairying and poultry and the cooperative expects to harvest around eight tonnes of pearl spot (karimeen), tilapia, trevally (vatta) and sea bass (kalanchi) over the four days. For home delivery, customers may contact 9497289000.