Bangkok, Thailand.- The Department of Fisheries, in collaboration with the private sector, is mobilizing the Pracharat model in expanding an agricultural support program to promote snakehead fish farming in five provinces.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Chutima Bunyapraphasara chaired the memorandum’s signing ceremony between the Department of Fisheries and the Betagro Group. She said the the agreement is aimed at introducing snakehead fish farming in five provinces as an alternative occupation to rice farming to reduce economic risks and supplement the incomes of farmers.
In 2016, the Department of Fisheries supported 83 new snakehead fish farms in Ang Thong, Kamphaeng Phet, and Chiang Mai. This year, the department aims to support 200 new farms in the provinces of Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Khai, Kamphaeng Phet and Ang Thong, with 8 million baht allocated for the project to breed a total of 1.5 million fish.
According to recent studies, farmers will be able to sell their fish after 3-4 months at 80,000 baht per pond, totaling 16 million baht. The measure also aims to reduce the amount of rice farming activities in unsuitable areas by encouraging the breeding of snakehead fish as an alternative.
The Department of Fisheries has also conducted studies on snakehead fish farming in soil and cement ponds.
The department also declared that the current price slump of snakehead fish is due to low-cost alternatives from abroad and an ample of snakehead fish in Thailand.
Source: NNT