Manipur: Fish Festival recovers Rs 2.58 crore sale in one day

Guwahati: Approximately 86,286 kilograms of different indigenous fish for table purposes worth over Rs 2.58 crore were sold on day one of the Emoinu Fish Festival in Imphal, Manipur.

Officials said that in total Rs 2,58,85,800 worth of fish was sold during the vent.

The fair was held as a part of the sacred festival of Ima Imoinu Iratpa and served as a one-stop destination for religious offerings.

Manipur Fisheries Minister Heikham Dingo Singh said that the fish production recorded in the festival was 86,286 kgs against the sale target of 80,000 Kgs.

Altogether, 130 stalls from eight districts were opened at the fair selling locally produced fish varieties.

The fish included Meitei Sareng (Wallago attu), Rohu, Common Carp, Silver Carp, Pengba, Khabak, Ngaton, Ngahei, Ukabi, Porom, Tunghanbi, Ngakra (catfish), Muka Nga, Ngasang and Nung-nga, among others.

The prices fixed for different fish varieties by the state fishery department were Sareng (Rs 1100 per Kg and Rs 1200 per Kg for fish weighing more than 2 Kg) Catla (Rs 220 for below 2 Kg, Rs 300 for above 3 Kg and Rs 380 for above 5 Kg), Rohu (Rs 220 for below 1 Kg, Rs 280 for above 1 Kg and Rs 350 for above 2 Kg) etc.

He said that the State needs to produce 62,000 to 65,000 metric tonnes of fish every year to meet the rising demand against the production which stands at around 30,000 metric tonnes.

The state is spending around Rs 200 crore to Rs 300 crore annually in importing tablefish from other states.

The minister added that however, the Government is putting in every effort to increase the production of fish as 90 per cent of the state population is non-vegetarian.