Fish clubs change rural fortunes in Jharkhand

With better fish seed, farmers have seen their incomes double.

About two years ago, fish farmers of Barenda village in Sonahatu block, 65 km from the state capital Ranchi, could not even dream that their income, through fish cultivation, could double. It became possible with the help of a local NGO, MADAIT, supported by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural development.

Sonahatu block is unique due to a large number of ponds that are scattered all over the villages.Yet, fisheries here have been a non-starter thanks to ignorance of scientific production technology and lack of quality fish seeds. Enter Nabard and MADAIT.

A team of officers from Nabard regional office, Jharkhand, visited Sonahatu block in February last year. They hand-picked 40 fish farmers from 12 villages of Sonahatu block with the help of a local NGO MADAIT.

The fish farmers were introduced to the idea of having a fish farmer's club, leading to the birth of the Panchpargana Fish Farmers Club under the sponsorship of Jharkhand Gramin Bank and Nabard in June 16 last year.

Says K C Shashidhar, chief general manager, Nabard, Jharkhand region: "The farmer's club programme of Nabard is a well accepted concept which offers a forum in rural areas for banks and borrowers to come together, engage in a continuous and positive dialogue and initiate appropriate measures to achieve development. That was the idea behind the club."

Villagers say that their main problem was poor fish seeds. Once that problem was addressed, their incomes have doubled.

Says Partha Mitra, manager, Nabard, "The solution was to allow entrepreneurs to build hatcheries with loans from Gramin Bank, or any local bank to meet the demand of quality seeds."

However, the NGO MADAIT points out that all is not rosy in the fish project. For instance, four farmers failed to pay back loans as their projects failed due to poor seedlings.

Says Bishwa Bihari Singhdeo, chief volunteer of the NGO: "Of the 13 fish farmers of Barenda village who had received loan from the Grameen Bank of Sonahatu last year to develop fisheries, four could not pay back the first installment. The reason was crop failure due to inferior quality of seedlings. The Grameen Bank refused to give further loans to the villagers until the four defaulters cleared their first installment."