KADAPA: Farmers of Kadapa district are not only focusing on agriculture but fish farming as well. Already, many farmers in Porumamilla, Jammalamadugu and Chapadu mandals are operating fish ponds. Many more have applied for constructing new ponds.
Officially, there are 130 acres of fish ponds in the Chapadu mandal, 80 acres in Porumamilla and 15 acres in Jammalamadugu mandal. It is agriculture lands that have been converted into fish ponds. Aqua farmers had suffered severe losses due to lack of transport and sales during lockdown because of Coronavirus.
But the situation has changed now with the state government recently amending aquaculture regulations and simplifying them for providing assistance to farmers. It has also taken steps to promote fish farming by appointing special committees at the state, district and mandal levels. This has led to many farmers turning to fish farming.
Karnati Narayana Reddy, a farmer from Kuchupapa village of Chapadu mandal, said he has…