State Minister of Solar Power, Wind and Hydro Power Generation Projects Development, Duminda Dissanayake said he intends to develop fish breeding centers in the Anuradhapura District and start several edible freshwater fish farms at the local level to produce freshwater fish, which are in great demand throughout the country, in order to empower the rural people economically.
State Minister Duminda Dissanayake, Chairman of the Ipalogama Regional Coordinating Committee made this observation after inspecting a food freshwater fish farm in the Kagama area in Ipalogama, Anuradhapura.
Fingerlings of edible fish such as tilapia will be placed in ponds set up in the farm and filled with freshwater and after the fish reach a certain size they will be harvested by nets or emptying the ponds and sell the fish harvest to the market.
The owner of the farm pointed out to the Minister that a tilapia fish is usually caught for sale when it weighs more than a kilo and is sold at around Rs. 350 per kilo. He also said that fishmongers and hotel owners come to his farm to buy fish and there is a huge demand for this.
Accordingly, a program will be prepared soon to popularize freshwater fish farming in the Anuradhapura District, the Minister said.
He also said that the economy of the rural people can be uplifted through the promotion of food fish farming by providing knowledge, understanding, training, technology and funding for aquaculture for food and utilizing state lands as well as fallow paddy lands for this purpose.
The Minister of State, Duminda Dissanayake said that an expeditious program will be initiated with the relevant departments in this regard.
