Rich-Fish Farming System

Introduction

The rice-fish farming system developed by the CRRI is mainly aimed at conserving the environment, as it encourages synergism between components and recycles the wastes of one another. It is one of the most acceptable choices particularly in Eastern India where the resources, food habits and socio-economic conditions of the farmers favour such farming. This type of arming greatly accommodates crop diversification and in turn enhances production and improves farm income and employment.

Field Design

Farm shape should desirably be rectangular or even square. Size can range from 0.4 to 1 ha or more. The system mainly involves construction of dikes or bunds, trenches and pond refuge. The land use for these structures is around 20% for dikes or bunds, 13% for trenches and pond refuge and rest for growing rice and sequence crops. Pond refuge involves constrcution of a small pond (10 m width and 1.75 m depth) at the lower portion, which connects the total field area by means of 2 side trenches (3 m width and 1 m depth). Trenches ease the collection of water and fish from the rice field to the pond refuge, besides sustaining fish and other crops farming. Apparently trenches with little bed slope of around 0.5% towards pond refuge would be preferable. The dug-out soil of the trenches is used to construct dikes or bunds all around the field (2.5 m width and 1 m height).

Benefits of Technology

This system is about 15 times more productive and profitable than the traditional rice farming.
Technology is technically aided, educationally attainable, economically viable, ecologically sustainable and culturally compatible.

Advantages

• Low capital investment
• High employment potential
• Maximum use of local raw materials and manpower resources
• Adaptable levels of sophistication

For further information please contact :

Indian Council for Agricultural Research
Krishi Bhavan,
New Delhi-110001, India