Badal announces R&D centre to boost shrimp production

In a bid to boost income of farmers in Punjab's south-western parts through pisciculture, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today gave nod for a Research and Development Centre near Malout to promote shrimp farming.
"The 'Blue Revolution' in the state could transform the destiny of farmers," he said while interacting with a delegation of progressive fish farmers at his residence here.
The unprecedented success of shrimp (Jhinga) farming in brackish waters in Muktsar and Fazilka districts has proved its huge potential as an allied source of income for farmers, Badal said.
"The SAD-BJP government was making all out efforts to promote fish farming in the state," he said.

The Chief Minister said, "Though Punjab pioneered the Green Revolution, which was instrumental in providing food security to the country, agriculture was no longer a profitable venture because of escalating input costs and squeezed profit margins."
"Because of these factors farmers of the state were on the brink of an economic crisis," he claimed.

"In such a dismal scenario pisciculture was the only ray of hope for farmers as they could supplement their income through it," he said.
The state government would set up a dedicated fund for running this centre, Badal assured.
The Chief Minister announced that the state government would give a 50 per cent subsidy on equipment, feed and seed to boost production of shrimps in the state.