College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana holds alternatively on campus and off campus meetings of Innovative Fish Farmer Association (IFFA), Punjab every month. In this series, meeting for the month of May was held at the fish farm of S. Paramjit Singh Mundri in village Dhindsa, district Patiala. About 12 farmers attended the meeting and they were provided with technical knowhow regarding natural fish food (plankton) production in the pond, water quality management and supplementary feed formulation as well as feeding strategies for higher productivity by Dr. Vaneet Inder Kaur, Assistant Scientist (Department of Aquaculture) cum Technical Co-ordinator, IFFA. She said that Fish farming is very upcoming profession in Punjab. The state is highest fish producer state amongst the non-costal states of India. He said that college of fisheries is providing technical knowhow to fish farmers through practical trainings at the campus. Farmers interested in fish farming may contact institute for any further query. The farmers were also apprised of the protocol and potential of Pangas catfish culture in Punjab by Dr. S.N. Dutta, Assistant Scientist (Department of Fisheries Resource Management). Pangas catfish has been successfully reared by GADVASU with an average productivity of over 7ton/acre in 6 month. In view of 3 times higher productivity of pangas as compared to carps, the farmers expressed great interest in taking up pangas catfish culture for diversification of traditionally practised low value carp culture in the State. A group of final year BFSc students, who are undergoing In-plant training during the current semester, also visited the farm under the supervision of the class In-charge, Dr. Akhil Gupta, to interact with the farmers for cost benefit analysis. Next meeting of IFFA will be held on 3rd Thursday of June at College of Fisheries, GADVASU.
