Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh Thursday said the state had saved over Rs 100 crore in fish import in the last four-and-a-half years. According to the CM, this was achieved after the state reduced its fish imports from 20 metric tonnes to 14 metric tonnes as part of a government initiative to achieve self-sufficiency in fish production. Annually, Manipur’s requirement of fish for consumption is about 52,000 metric tonnes, while only about 32,000 metric tonnes are produced by farmers in the state. Therefore, around Rs 400 crore is spent in importing fish. However, Biren Singh said the production capacity of fish in the state had now increased to 36,000 MT per year with the joint efforts of the government and the fish farmers. Singh further stated that the state has also started an initiative to revive Sareng (Freshwater Catfish) production. Sareng is one of the delicacies of Manipur. He said the state procured around 2,000 Sareng fingerlings from different parts of the country and started rearing them in ponds identified by the fisheries department. The initiative will reduce the demand for imported iced Sareng, he added. Earlier, as part of the revival plan, the state had announced that it would provide loans with 50 per cent grant to fish farmers who produce local Sareng.
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