Abstract:Background: India contributes 7.96 percent of the world's total fish production, ranking it as the third-largest fish producer in the world. The fisheries sector plays a vital role in the Indian economy, contributing significantly to foreign exchange earnings. In the financial year 2020-21, India's total fish production reached an estimated 14.73 million metric tonnes (MMT). The marine sector contributed 3.48 MMT, while the inland sector contributed 11.25 MMT. India also ranks second globally in aquaculture, after China.
Methodology: The research paper focuses on the descriptive analysis of the status of village pond aquaculture in the Anand district. The objective of the study is to socio-economic profile of fish farmers, the cost of production in fish farming and the problem faced by farmers during fish farming. The research adopts a non-probability convenient sampling method to gather data from 80 farmers in the target area. The data was collected and analysed by using various analytical tools, including tabular analysis, and Garrett's Ranking Technique.
Results: The results explored that the most of respondents were middle-aged with education up to SSC. Majority of farmer's ponds holding sizes of 0 to 2 ha and fishing experience was 11 to 20 years. The total cost per ha was estimated at ₹ 1,00,216 and the net income per ha was estimated at ₹61,934. Majority of farmers do not test the pH of pond water and add lime for water filtration. Most of the farmers add two to three inches size fish seeds and harvesting was done after 12 months through contractors. Rice bran and ground nut oil cake were given as fish feeds at every 7-day interval. Majority of farmers faced the poaching problem in the pond and followed by the bad water quality of the pond due to village sewage water and scarcity of water in the dry season.