india readies plan to promote nile tilapia farming in kerala

India readies plan to promote Nile tilapia farming in Kerala January 30, 2014, 5:42 pm Undercurrent News India's marine products export development authority (Mpeda) has chalked out a plan to culture a variety of Nile tilapia in Kerala, India. The government department identified 12,000 hectares of farms in districts including Palakkad, Ernakulam, Kottayam and Alappuzha, suitable for farming the new breed. M Shaji, a government officer, told Business Standard said the fish enjoyed good demand not only in local markets, but also overseas like in the US and the European Union. The US imported 22,000 metric tons of fillets of Nile tilapia from Southeast Asian countries during 201213, he said. The Kerala regional government recently allowed farming of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), which was under restrictions because it is a foreign breed. Broodstock was imported from Malaysia. Farmers in Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts had already started farming Nile tilapia. Shaji said Nile tilapia grows fast and reaches a weight of 300 grams to 350g in just four months. In India, the Mossambicus variety of tilapia has been widely farmed in states like Kerala, Andhrapradesh and Odisha for the past 30 years. But the Nile variety is said to have whiter, and tastier flesh. On average, five tons can be produced from one hectare in just eight months.

Upload: kunapuli

Post on 24-Sep-2015

212 views

Category:

Documents

0 download

Report

Download

Embed Size (px):

DESCRIPTION

news

TRANSCRIPT

IndiareadiesplantopromoteNiletilapiafarminginKerala

January30,2014,5:42pm

UndercurrentNews

India'smarineproductsexportdevelopmentauthority(Mpeda)haschalkedoutaplantocultureavarietyofNiletilapiainKerala,India.Thegovernmentdepartmentidentified12,000hectaresoffarmsindistrictsincludingPalakkad,Ernakulam,KottayamandAlappuzha,suitableforfarmingthenewbreed.

MShaji,agovernmentofficer,toldBusinessStandardsaidthefishenjoyedgooddemandnotonlyinlocalmarkets,butalsooverseaslikeintheUSandtheEuropeanUnion.

TheUSimported22,000metrictonsoffilletsofNiletilapiafromSoutheastAsiancountriesduring201213,hesaid.

TheKeralaregionalgovernmentrecentlyallowedfarmingofNiletilapia(Oreochromisniloticus),whichwasunderrestrictionsbecauseitisaforeignbreed.BroodstockwasimportedfromMalaysia.FarmersinErnakulamandAlappuzhadistrictshadalreadystartedfarmingNiletilapia.

ShajisaidNiletilapiagrowsfastandreachesaweightof300gramsto350ginjustfourmonths.

InIndia,theMossambicusvarietyoftilapiahasbeenwidelyfarmedinstateslikeKerala,AndhrapradeshandOdishaforthepast30years.

ButtheNilevarietyissaidtohavewhiter,andtastierflesh.Onaverage,fivetonscanbeproducedfromonehectareinjusteightmonths.
http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2014/01/30/indiareadiesplantopromoteniletilapiafarminginkerala/

FarmersgetanaveragepriceofINR150toINR200perkilogramandtheproductioncostisratherlowcomparedtootherspeciesoffish.

Bluetilapiaisalsowidelyusedforfarming.

Tilapia,whichisanAfricanfishbyorigin,ismainlyascavengertypefishandrequireslessfishmeal.Globalfarmedproductionoftilapiaisaround3.5milliontonsannuallywithanestimatedvalueof$3billion.