1. Introduction
Culture of fish in seasonal tanks, to be attractive in rural areas, must make economic sense to the villagers. They should at least get as much back (in the form of fish and/or cash) as they are asked to contribute in the form of cash, labour or other resources. This Annex considers this issue.
Naturally the quantity of fish produced in any one seasonal tank will vary with many factors: extent of naturally occurring nutrients in the water; number of months during which the pond has water, degree to which fertilizers and supplemental feed is used. Table 14.1 lists expected costs and returns for three different management schemes: (a) only stocking - no fertilizers or feed; (b) application of fertilizer; (c) application of both fertilizer and feed.
2. Investment
Little additional investment is required to make a well-maintained seasonal tank suitable for culture of fish. Protective netting around the sluice gate, a cast net (possibly a gill net), a balance and some baskets and containers. In total the investment will be less than 3 000 rupees.
3. Costs and returns
Table 14.1 itemizes costs and earnings for a 10 ha seasonal tank under the three management schemes identified above, and assuming that the villagers will bear the full costs for fingerlings. The price of fish, Cey.Rs. 4.00/kg, is low and is based on the hypothesis that fish will be sold at the pond side.
The benefits from a more intensive culture are considerable. If no fertilizer, or feed, is added, and villagers pay the full cost of fingerlings, expenditures will not be recovered if the price of fish is kept as low as Cey.Rs. 4.00/kg. During the introductory phase of the seasonal tanks programme, however, fingerlings should be provided free of charge and the tank culture will show a respectable surplus. Table 14.1 also reveals the fact that it will not pay to stock, and intensively manage, tanks that are small and isolated. The personnel costs will become prohibitive.
Table 14.1
Costs and earnings for a 10 ha seasonal tank during 12 months
| Item | Unit | Cey.Rs. units | Management scheme | |||||
| Only stocking | Fertilizer | Fertilizer and feed | ||||||
| No.of units | Cey.Rs. '000 | No.of units | Cey.Rs. '000 | No. of units | Cey.Rs. '000 | |||
| Village level worker | Man-month | 450 | 8 | 3 600 | 10 | 4 500 | 12 | 5 400 |
| Watchman/labourer/store keeper | Man-month | 500 | 6 | 3 000 | 6 | 3 000 | 24 | 12 000 |
| Fisherman | Man-month | 1 000 | 2 | 2 000 | 3 | 3 000 | 6 | 6 000 |
| Fingerlings | 1 000 fingerlings | 600 | 25 | 15 000 | 35 | 21 000 | 50 | 30 000 |
| Urea | metric ton | 980 | 2.5 | 2 450 | 2.5 | 2 450 | ||
| Superphosphate | metric ton | 1 335 | 2.5 | 3 337 | 2.5 | 3 337 | ||
| Cattle dung | metric ton | 150 | 10 | 1 500 | 10 | 1 500 | ||
| Oil cake | 1 kg | 2 | 12 500 | 25 000 | ||||
| Rice bran | 1 kg | .60 | 12 500 | 7 500 | ||||
| Miscellaneous | % | 10 | 2 400 | 10 | 3 613 | 10 | 9 125 | |
| Sub-total | 26 000 | 42 400 | 102 400 | |||||
| Depreciation (over 5 years) | 600 | 600 | 600 | |||||
| Total cost | 26 600 | 43 000 | 103 000 | |||||
| Revenue | kg of fish | 4 | 5 000 | 20 000 | 15 000 | 60 000 | 30 000 | 120 000 |
| Benefits | (6 600) | 17 000 | 17 000 | |||||
Benefits if fingerlings provided free of cost | 8 400 | 38 000 | 47 000 | |||||
