Manipur Sareng (Wallago Attu) will attract the buyers during Ningol Chakouba festival this season. “Instead of buying ice packed Sareng from Assam and West Bengal, people will be able to buy fresh Manipur Sareng Nga,” Director of department of fisheries, Heisnam Balkrisna Singh said on Tuesday.
Balkrishna was speaking to the media while releasing 2,500 Sareng fingerlings imported from Yangon, Myanmar at the fish farm of Chungkham Gopeshwor Singh at Wangoi Makha Leikai, Imphal West on Monday.
Balkrisna further said that for years the state has been buying Sareng Nga from outside the state as the fish has been a part of cultural and tradition of the state.
To reduce the import of the fish from outside the state, rearing of Sareng has started and has been increasing under the guidance and support from the department of fisheries since last year, he added.
In Biren 1.0, Manipur Sareng was promoted by CM N Biren. CM stated that the State government has started an initiative for the revival of Sareng production in the State. This was stated by him during the releasing of 600 Sareng fingerings at the ponds located inside the premises of District Fishery Office, Imphal West, Lamphelpat on 19 August last year.
Last year, the production of fish in the State had increased from 30,000 MT to 36,000 MT per year with the joint efforts of the Government and the fish farmers. Around Rs 400 crore is being spent on importing fish.
The fingerlings which were released today at the fish farm of Gopeshwor are imported from Yangon, brought through the air from Yangon to Mandalay, and from Mandalay to Imphal through by-road. Earlier, the fingerlings of Sareng were first imported from Bangladesh but the fingerlings could be imported from Yangon also, said Balkrisna.
He said any fish farmers who want to rear Sareng can contact the progressive farmers or the concerned department. Balkrishna said the state government has already declared to give 50 percent subsidy while rearing Sareng according to the fish production.
Chungkham Gopeshwor said that in the coming Ningol Chakouba festival over 5,000 kg Sareng will be produced. At present, he has around 4,000 Sarengs in his farm including 2,500 fingerlings that were released on Monday. Gopeshwor started rearing Sareng in 2021 and the fish now weigh 2.5 kg to 3 kg.