Nepalgunj, February 27:

Fish farming has attracted the farmers in Banke district after the fish development programme was effective here.

According to the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), 698 farmers are involved in the profession in a total of 175 hectares of various water reservoirs in the district.

Engaged in common, hybrid, intense and other farming patterns, they harvest around 920 metric tonnes of fish per year here. Farmers in the district harvest silver carp, bighead carp, grass carp, common carp and rahu carp after bringing fish fry from Bhairahawa of Nepal and Nanpara of India.

Farmers of Naubasta, Chisapani, Mahadevpuri, Kohalpur, Sumshergunj, Raniyapur and Hirminiya VDCs in the district have been included in the fish-farming groups.

Around 465 farmers, banded in 18 groups have deposited Rs 95,000 in their Group Welfare Fund.

DADO has extended Bhabaniyapur, Raniyapur, Puraini and Kohalpur

as fish-pocket areas, and Mahadevpuri, Indrapur and Chisapani as fish hatchery nurseries by involving the government and private sectors, said Office Chief Sachidananda Upadhdyay.

Last year, government and private sectors imported and distributed around 4,860,000 fish fry.

Meanwhile, several of the fish farmers complained of difficulties like problem of water shortage during the summer season and problem in getting the supply of fish fry.