Rice-Fish Farming Approach in Some Coastal Areas of West Bengal

Both rice and fish are immensely important to the livelihood in rural poor people in India as both nutrition and sources of income. Apart from the seasonally flooded freshwater rice fields, high rainfed areas along the coastline can also be utilized for monsoon rice cultivation. Rice-fish culture in coastal saline areas aims at utilizing the summer fallow period of these plots through short duration brackish water aquaculture in sequential system without affecting the subsequent rice crop in the same plot during monsoon. Experimentations were carried out at Tangramari of North 24-Parganas district of West Bengal with the objective of optimizing fish production through integrated management approach. The experimentations were carried out in 38 plots, the size of which ranged from 0.2 to 0.52 ha where three salinity tolerant rice varieties were tried. The paddy productions at maximum level were obtained with Bangladesh Patnai, which ranged between 1000 kg/ha and 2307 kg/ha followed by IT 5656 ranging from 600 to 1750 kg/ha whereas CSR1010 showed poor performance. Four groups consisting of 9-10 farmers involving one variable for each were tried which were Pelleted feed without bhetki (Lates calcarifer); Pelleted feed with bhetki; Traditional feed without bhetki; Traditional feed with bhetki. The pelleted feed without bhetki production 1049.8 kg/ha but pelleted feed with bhetki yielded 875.2 kg/ha. At the same time with the traditional feed without bhetki a production of 986.2 kg/ha was obtained in comparison to the traditional feed with bhetki where production of 867.6 kg/ha was obtained. Under rice-fish farming system though judicious management overall productions can be increased which substantially will also increase the income of the farmers.