Livelihood Option through Trout Seed Production in Jammu and Kashmir: An Economic Analysis

Abstract

The present study was conducted during the period
2014-15 to understand the economics of trout seed
production in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It
was observed that the trout seed production is a
capital intensive business, with high cost involved
in the establishment of fixed inventories. The study
showed that 79.65% of seed produced in the state
is used for culture purpose while 20.35% is utilized
to stock the springs and streams for sports fisheries.
The major capital investment was incurred in
hatchery construction (around 90 lakh), which
accounted 72.25% of the total capital investment.
Cost and return analysis revealed fixed cost about
` 55.24 lakh and variable cost about ` 2.42 lakh
which accounted about 95.63 and 4.37% respectively.
The major constraints encountered in trout seed
production was lack of skill labour and low demand
for trout seed. Due to low demand for trout seed
the trout hatcheries were running at a sub-optimal
level but the demand for trout seed is expected to
rise with increasing number of private trout farmers.
With proper skill enhancement the trout hatchery
business can transform into a viable livelihood
option for entrepreneurs.