Public transport is closed across the country to prevent the transmission of the novel coronavirus. In this situation, due to low prices, labour and transportation crisis, the production of pollen in the hatcheries of Kishoreganj has been severely disrupted.
Sales have dropped by 80 percent. Almost 11 fish hatcheries are closed. Hatchery owners have claimed that they are facing financial loss of Tk 1 crore every week due to declining sales in these hatcheries.
Talking to hatchery owners, it is learned that the season full of pollen fry production is from March to August. Pollen fry supplies 10 percent of the country's total demand from Kishoreganj. The target for the current year is to produce 6,000 kg of pollen. But due to the coronavirus, the production in the hatchery will decrease in the full season.
The concerned people think that the target will not be met this year. According to the District Fisheries Office, Kishoreganj is also playing an important role in the production of pollen fry. Pollen fry is being produced in 11 hatcheries in the district.
Till April this year, 2,970 kg of pollen fry has been produced. Hatcheries in Kishoreganj produce fish fry like Rui, Katla, Mrigel, Silver Carp, Grass Carp, Bighead, Thai Sarpunti, Mirror Carp, Japanese, Chital, Ayr, Tilapia, Monosex Tilapia, Shing, Kai, Thai Kai, Pangash etc. 5-6 lakh people of the district make a living through fish production, farming and related occupations.
Taqdir Ahmed Pavel, managing director of Pavel Agro Hatchery (Pvt) Ltd., said that fish companies are facing huge financial losses due to the corona virus.
Where in Kishoreganj district about 5000-6000 kg carp fry is produced every year, it is not possible to produce 20 percent of the total production this year.
This lockdown adopted by the government and the workers are reluctant to work for the sake of life. Hatchery production is also being hampered by high prices of raw materials (PG) Pituitary Gland used in fish production.
He said it has become very difficult to sell as much as possible in different parts of the country. In this case, I am drawing the attention of the government of Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the compensation of fish hatchery owners.
District Fisheries Officer, Agriculturist Ripon Kumar Pal said, "Coronavirus has affected our fisheries sector." This will have an impact on the country's market as pollen fry production declines. So we have asked the hatchery owners to produce pollen fry in compliance with social distance.