From saline fields to 50 biofloc tanks: Punjab women rewrite the farm story with fisheries

In Jalandhar district of Punjab, Kamal Sahney, a BTech IT professional based in Canada, has transformed her 1.25-acre farm into an intensive aquaculture enterprise using 50 circular tanks lined up under a polysheet-covered shed. Each tank, nearly 7-8 feet deep and four metres wide, holds around 15,000 litres of water and fish seeds in a controlled environment.

Sahney, who started her project in February, aims to sell 7-8 lakh fish seeds in her first year for Rs 1 to Rs 8 per piece, capitalizing on the off-season demand. Her project, costing around Rs 50 lakh with 60 per cent subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), showcases the potential for significant profits from a small area, with successful aquaculture ventures fetching over Rs 50 lakh from an acre or more.