The sale price of African catfish fingerling is much higher than that of the fingerling of same size of any other fish species. Moreover, the expenditures of combined and pond methods of fish production here is lower than that of carps. So, profitability of magur fingerling production, whether pond or combined method used, is much higher than that of carp fingerling production. In intensive system it is not encouraging so much so the return is comparatively low vis a vis the high price of food and chemicals required there.
Table 15 contains the detailed economical evaluation of different methods of fingerling production. The data were collected in Tongi FSMF in the breeding season of 1991.
The summary of biological, technological and economical data necessary for planning of African magur seed production is given in Appendix 5.
Table 15 Profitability of the three different fingerling production methods (Case study of 1 lakh fingerling production)
| Method of production | Trough* | Pond** | Combined* | |||
| Expenditure | Tk 1000 | % | Tk 1000 | % | Tk 1000 | % |
| Price of hatched fry | 3.1 | 8.18 | 6.3 | 51 | 6.3 | 24.09 |
| Feeding in trays | 13 | 34.30 | - | - | 6.8 | 26.00 |
| Treatment in trays | 12 | 31.66 | - | - | 5.3 | 20.27 |
| Water supply | 1.0 | 2.64 | - | - | 0.25 | 0.96 |
| Pond management | - | - | 2.2 | 19 | 1.4 | 5.35 |
| Feeding in ponds | - | - | 1.2 | 10 | 1.2 | 4.59 |
| Labour cost | 3.0 | 7.92 | 0.3 | 2 | 0.8 | 3.06 |
| Others | - | - | 0.5 | 4 | 0.5 | 1.91 |
| Amortization/rent | 1.0 | 2.64 | 0.2 | 1 | 0.2 | 0.76 |
| Bank interest | 4.8 | 12.66 | 1.6 | 13 | 3.4 | 13.00 |
| TOTAL EXPENDITURES | 37.90 | 100.00 | 12.30 | 100.00 | 26.15 | 100.00 |
| INCOME | 70 | 90 | 90 | |||
| NET PROFIT | 32.10 | 77.70 | 63.85 | |||
| RETURN OF INVESTMENT | 84.70 | 631.71 | 244.17 | |||
* Number of trays necessary for production of 1 lakh fingerling is 15
** Pond area required for production of 1 lakh fingerling 1.35 bigha, 1820 m2
