Anantnag: Clad in Kashmiri Phiran, two sisters, Sumaira and Aliya are redefining opportunities for educated women. The duo has become trendsetters in trout farming in the Valley. Sumaira, a master's in Urdu and her younger sister Aliya, a graduate in Arts, set up a rainbow trout fish farm in the Nambal area of Anantnag on family land. They set up the farm in 2020.
"We were looking for work, but opportunities were very less. Where we had abundant land and water, we thought we should utilise these resources," said Sumaira. "The Fisheries Department gave us advice and subsidies through Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMSSY), which we used to begin our venture,” Sumaira added.
Since then, their farm has expanded to four raceways, spanning two kanals of land and producing around 20 quintals of rainbow trout annually. Plans are already underway for another raceway and a feed mill to scale their operations. "Our farm has created job opportunities for others and serves as proof that self-employment can be empowering," said Aliya.
The sisters are eager to influence other educated women in the area. "To all unemployed girls sitting at home and waiting for jobs, don't waste your time. Utilise government schemes to start your ventures and become independent," they urged.
A Heritage Rooted in History
The beginning of trout farming in Kashmir dates back to 1899 when the Duke of Bedford presented a bag containing 10,000 trout fish eggs to the Maharaja of Kashmir. Although these failed to survive, a second shipment received in 1900 laid the foundation for today's thriving industry.
The Panzagam Dachigam (Harwan) waters initially acted as the first breeding grounds for trout while early efforts spearheaded by Michel, the owner of a carpet factory in Srinagar, developed into a huge industry, making Kashmir India's largest producer of trout fish.
A Modern Industry on the Rise
Today, trout fish farming in Kashmir is an energetic industry. More than 533 privately owned trout farms are functioning across the region with state-run hatcheries. In 2023, the production of trout reached 1,990 metric tonnes, considering a huge jump made under PMMSY under which a farmer gets up to 60 per cent financial support.
Anantnag crowned the 'Trout District of India' in 2018, is home to Asia's largest trout farm in Kokernag. Established in 1995 with European Economic Community assistance, the farm now supplies trout eggs and fingerlings to markets across India and Europe.
A Culinary and Export Delight
The rainbow trout, prized for its adaptability and taste dominates the landscape of trout farming in Kashmir while the brown trout is an angler's dream. Both the fish with their tender bones, fine scales and non-spongy nature have taken over the markets. These fetch an aristocratic price of Rs 500 to Rs 700 per kilogram locally. Plans are being developed to export trout and its by-products and earn good money in international markets.
Perfect Conditions for Growth
The conditions for trout breeding are ideal in Kashmir's glacial-fed streams and oxygen-rich waters. Streams such as Lidder, Sindh and Dachigam not only accommodate commercial trout farming, but also comprise beats to support sustainable practices. Streams are strategically divided by the Fisheries Department into trout beats to support sustainable practices. The state has 59 rearing units and hatcheries to meet the growing demand.
Recreation and Economic Impact
Dubbed the 'Angler's Paradise,' Kashmir attracts anglers from all over the world. This excitement of casting a hook in the Valley's beautiful streams contrasts with the economic impact of trout rearing on livelihoods, where it contributes to generating ripples of economic growth in rural areas as a source of employment and helping farmers like Sumaira and Aliya achieve empowerment.
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