If you are wondering about how to start a fish farm in India, you are at the right place. Our complete guide will take you to the world of aquaculture in the most thorough manner.
From the setting up of the pond, to the selling of your fish across the world, we have all the answers for you in our detailed article.
Fish farming, also known as pisciculture, is the commercial rearing of fish rearing in tanks or ponds.
Fish farming is an important economic sector in India and contributes in good amounts to the overall agricultural exports and food security in the country.
Why a fish farm?
People around the globe love fish for their meals, and their demand has been growing steadily. The naturally occurring fishes in the water bodies have declined due to this increasing demand and thus people have moved towards creating fish farms or aquaculture.
They produce fish artificially in these fish farms or ponds or tanks.
Fish farming and their artificial production has grown exponentially and has become extremely popular around the world. It has grown so widely that out of the total population of fish in the world, more than 50% comes from aquaculture alone.
How to Start a fish farm in India
If you are wondering how to begin with the fish farming process and find the best fish cage, let us get you into the guide.
Setting up Fish Farming Ponds
Fish rearing has some specific requirements that need to be fulfilled to make it a profitable business. Before setting up the pond, you will need an appropriate site for constructing and farming. This is the first step into your fish farming journey.
Site Selection
The success of your fish farming business banks on the selection of the most appropriate area. The site you choose must have a sufficient water supply, and the soul must have good water holding capacity. The site’s appropriateness depends on three factors, mentioned below:
Biological Factors
Biological factors deal with species, seed source, variety, etc. They cannot be ignored as they affect your business directly.
Social Factors
Social factors must be considered before starting your fish farming business. The culture and tradition of the place where you are farming, the people’s likes and dislikes, their preferences must be noted first before beginning.
The locals will accept your business and may even contribute to it. Also, you need to look for a site that has good transportation, infrastructure, and market facilities.
Ecological Factors
Ecological factors like climate, topography, soil, water, and others are the major factors that must be considered while creating farming ponds.
- The soil used in the pond must be able to hold a good quantity of water. A good water retention capacity is a must.
- You can guess the soil suitability by doing a small experiment. Take some soil in your wet hand and then squeeze it. After you open your palms; If the soil retains the shape, then it is suitable for creating your fish farming pond, otherwise not.
- Loamy soil, clayey soil are the most suitable ones for pond construction. You need to avoid sandy, rocky, limestone soil.
- Gravel in the most must be around a maximum of 10%.
- The pH range of water must be neutral. It should not be too alkaline and not too acidic. Extreme pH can harm fishes. In case of extreme pH, try neutralizing the water.
- Your farming pond should be near natural water bodies like ponds or rivers.
- The water must not be too saline. Fish cannot tolerate so much salinity.
- Land topography is an essential feature that must be studied before working out the construction of the pond.
Clearing the Site
The site you selected then needs to be cleared and tree stumps, debris must be removed. The area within 10m of the pond needs to be cleared. The soil surface needs to be cleared to a depth of 30cm so as to not let anything interfere with the pond and the fish farm.
Digging And Constructing The Dyke
The dyke must include 30-35% clay, 15-30% silt, and 45-55% sand. A mixture of sand and clay in proportion 1:2 must be used to make a 15 cm thick layer to elevate the dyke. It is made at the center of the pond.
Constructing the Inlet and Outlet
The pond is then filled with an adequate amount of water using a feeder, or a canal. The inlets will be constructed at the top of the pond and outlets at the pond’s bottom.
The inlet pipes used should be of adequate size so that they fill the pond in less than 2 days. You need to keep replacing the water with fresh water after a fixed period.
The feed you provide to the fish must be of really good quality and high nutrition.
Types of fish farms in India
In India, two types of fish farming are practiced.
They are freshwater fish farming and Brackish water fish farming. Freshwater farming pertains to the breeding of freshwater fish like Catla, rohu, freshwater prawn, freshwater pearl culture, ornamental fish farming, etc.
Brackish water fish farming pertains to the breeding of fish that generally belong to the sea, like gray mullet, tiger shrimp, mud crabs, etc.
Best fish for farming in India
You can rear a large variety of fish on your farm for which you will need good quality fishing systems. The list to choose from is extremely large and you have a range of options. If you are stuck with the question, which fish is best for farming in India, follow the article to know.
Catfish Farming
Catfish are one of the top choices of fish farmers because they are easy to farm, especially in warm climates.
They can be raised in ponds as well as tanks. They have a good demand in the market. You can start earning profits by rearing them for 18 months. The most prominent catfish species you can go ahead with include channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish.
Cod Farming
Codfish are very significant commercial species of fish in Europe and America. Its popularity is always increasing. The fish needs to be reared for 24-36 months before it can be sold on the market.
Tilapia Farming
Tilapia fish is the third most popular fish in fish farming that farmers opt for. These fish are high in protein, have large sizes, and grow considerably well. They can exist in a temperature range of 28 to 30°C.
Eel Farming
Eel fishes are carnivorous in nature. They have a long snake-like structure(body). Their bodies are slimy and slippery. China, Japan, and Taiwan are the largest producers and sellers of this species of fish.
Grass Carp Farming
Grass carp, a freshwater fish, is popular as white amur. It lives in lakes, rivers, and water reservoirs. In the farming of grass carp, you need to keep providing them with flowing water as it boosts up natural spawning.
Ornamental Fish
The demand for aquarium business has increased owing to the rise in popularity of these. This growing demand has thus been accompanied by an increase in the demand for ornamental fish, too. Popular ornamental fishes include White Cloud, Goldfish, Bloodfin Tetras, Danios, and Guppy.
Salmon Farming
Salmon is one of the other popular fish species that farmers love to rear. The most popular among them is Atlantic Salmon.
Prawn Farming
Prawns are loved as seafood across the globe. Thus, fish farms give a major priority to them. Prawn farms maintain in their ponds, a high oxygen level in the water as is suitable for prawns. People also use paddle wheels to increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in farm water.
Shellfish Farming
Shellfish include oysters, mussels, and clam species. With the love for marine food increasing, the demand for shellfish has boosted up too. Shellfish provide a balanced and low-fat diet and are rich in8 zinc, iron, copper, and vitamin B12.
Silver Carp Farming
Silver carp farming is popular among fish farmers because they need small investments and managing them is really easy. Farmers can also rear other species of fish along with these, making the business diverse and more profitable. These fish are used in a temperature range of 6°C-28°C.
Shrimp Farming
Shrimp is a popular choice for the aquaculture business. Both freshwater shrimp farming and brackish water shrimp farming are popular globally. The profit in your business depends on many other factors like water quality, management, temperature conditions, etc.
Tuna Farming
Tuna are carnivorous. They are saltwater fish and an important commercial product in various regions. Japan is the largest consumer of this fish. Their farming and rearing is, however, complex.
Selecting the Fish Breed
Want to know which fish farming is most profitable in India? Here’s the answer.
The right breed of fish for your small-scale farm, if chosen keeping in mind the ecological, social, and economic factors, can lead to gaining tremendous profits in the business.
After the pond construction is done, you need to choose the right kind of fish breed. Make sure which type of fish you want to rear, be it ornamental, or tuna, or Rohu.
The right type of fish combined with the right conditions, right management with right products, freshwater quality, favorable climatic conditions, and good market demand, can make your business a success.
Advantages of fish farming
In India, 60% of the people consume fish as their regular meals. The demand for these water animals has been growing unstoppable. Their prices are good, too. High demand combined with good minimum prices results in a really good income, be it in any business.
So, the first advantage of starting up a fish farm in India is good income.
The next advantage is that you will be supported by mother nature herself in this business. The tropical and subtropical climate of this country is completely ideal for the rearing and production of fish.
Setting up a fish farm is not a brainer. Just have the appropriate training, the right products and least amount of money. You can involve your family members in the business, too.
Most profitable fish farms in India
If you are guessing, “how profitable is fish farming in India“, we have an answer for you. For starters, we ensure that fish farms give good returns. You can rear fish too. For individuals who cannot afford large water bodies, open water fish culture is a popular option to go for.
- Haryana has 55 species of fish and stands second in the list of top annual fish-producing states in the country. The water becomes available from dams, lakes, and rivers.
- Andhra Pradesh is the most productive and profit-making state regarding coastal aquaculture. The total marine exports of India constitute a major contribution(40%) from Andhra Pradesh.
There are 102 reservoirs serving 74,000 fish, from perennial, to seasonal, to freshwater, to brackish water, to prawns, you name it, and you get it in Andhra Pradesh’s aquaculture farms.
- Chhattisgarh ranks next in the list. It uses approximately 1.549 lakh hectares of water for aquaculture. This water comes from rivers, reservoirs, ponds, and tanks.
- The state is home to Mahanadi and Godavari, the two major rivers in India. Many people are involved in fish farming in this state due to it’s profitable nature.
- West Bengal comes next on the list. Here, people are trained to become professional fishers. The fish farms of Juneoutz Kalyani, and Barasagardighi are the major ones existing in the state.
People in West Bengal love fish and seafood for their meals and thus there is a large demand for the same in the market too, which makes fish farming profitable in this region of India.
Fish farming tips
Every business needs to be handled, maintained with utmost care and precision. The tips provided for the business need to be followed so as to earn greater profits. For your fish farm, you must have the right waterfront solutions along with the below mentioned –
- First, the pH of the water needs to be painted at favorable conditions according to the type of fish or their species you are rearing. Using water with a pH completely opposite to the desired capacity can harm your fish to a great extent.
- If the pH goes higher on any of the ends, make sure to neutralize it by adding the opposite counterpart of the acid or the base, depending upon whether the water is highly basic or acidic.
- If you are not sure of the business making expected amounts of money, you can always merge it with other types of farming. You can carry out both simultaneously.
- You need to provide comfortable living conditions for your fish, below the surface layer. The temperature needs to be maintained from 28°C-38°C and the depth of water required is 5-6 feet.
- Partially shading the pond with trees around it helps in maintaining the right temperature levels.
- You need to maintain a good amount of oxygen dissolved in the water where your fish breed. Oxygen is really important here.
- You can aerate the ponds by adding fresh water or aerators. Oxygen levels, if maintained at the appropriate rates and quantities, keep the fish healthy; increase their growth too.
- The pond must have soil that has a high water holding capacity. Also, the nutrients proportion in the water needs to be maintained at adequate levels to improve the breeding and rearing of fish and fasten up their healthy growth.
- Algae may bloom in the water during summers, causing the pH to achieve a value of over 8.
- Do not add manures/fertilizers to water if the water turns green-brown or reddish. Rack the bottom after fixed time intervals to remove the accumulated harmful gases from beneath the water. The gases can be toxic too, and can harm your fishes severely.
- If a disease is spotted in the fish, abandon feeding them. Keep the pond rich in plankton, by adding manures and fertilizers to the water.
Fish grow by eating this plankton, too.
Licenses Required
Along with knowing the manufacturer of the products required in your business, every business you want to conquer demands legality on the part of the owner. Make sure you have the right documents, expertise and licenses before setting up your own fish farm.
- Get registered, pay Rupees 200 per acre as the service charge and Rupees 100 as the user charge.
- Get the application form for the fish farm business and fill in the required details. (Get the form from Meeseva centers).
- Pattadar passbooks and your land legal documents.
- FMB of the pond.
- A sketch map of the farm or the pond that you would construct.
- Other documents required if any.
- The proposal from MAO regarding your
- business.
- Proof documents.
- Your personal photo.
- Your identity proof(Aadhar card, PAN card, or Voter Id card).
- Get the approval of the people living nearby the area you are deciding to set up your fish farm
- Walta ACT2002 affidavit is required.
- The map of the village or area you are setting up your fish farm business in.
Submit these documents to:
- NFDB-National fisheries development board
- DIFA-Development of Inland fisheries and aquaculture.
- IAFS- Institutional Arrangements for the Fisheries Sector in India.
- MCS- Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance and other need-based interventions in fisheries.
- DMF and IHOP-Development of Marine Fisheries and Infrastructure and Post Harvest Operations.
- National Scheme of Welfare of fishers( Centrally sponsored).
Marketing
Every business can fail to produce optimum profits unless its services and products are marketed, either physically or digitally.
Without marketing, even though you produce good quality fish, they won’t be able to reach a large audience, as they should.
This can lead to losses in your business. So, do not miss out on the marketing part of your product. For the local markets, you can physically market your products.
But if your eye is on the global market, and your aim is to drive your fish around the world, you need to use digital marketing before starting to export your produce.
Digital marketing via social media can boost your business’ growth like never before. You will be able to reach the largest possible audience, with the least effort and in the least possible time.
Ensure you get proper knowledge before stepping into the international market.
Conclusion
Having encountered the complete guide on ” how to set up your fish farm in India”, we hope you have all your doubts cleared regarding, “is fish farming profitable in India”?
The process is smooth and simple. If you have the right amount of knowledge and initial investment, you can succeed in any business you step into.
Fish farms are popular just as fishes are. You can earn loads here and get yourself a better lifestyle.
You’ll have to work harder in the beginning, but once all is set, you can step into becoming the most successful businessperson in this field.
Contact us to get customized fish farming cage systems.