The Punjab Fisheries Department through Bank of Punjab will advance loans on soft terms and condition at the rate of two percent mark up for the promotion of fish farming in private sector in the province.
Punjab Fisheries Director General Dr Muhammad Ayub told APP here on Tuesday that the Chief Minister Punjab had accorded approval and initially allocated a sum of rupees 50 million for disbursement of loans to small fish farmers.
He said the authorised branches of the Bank of Punjab would advance these loans on the recommendation of the Fisheries Department.
He said the amount of loan would be further increased from next year subject to its successful experimentation. He said Fisheries Research Institute at Manawan would provide free technical advisory services, soil, water testing and guidance to interested farmers for the establishment of fish farms.
Dr Muhammad Ayub said the Punjab Agriculture Department was already providing bulldozers for fish farming at highly subsidised rate. He said that millions of best quality cultureable fish seed was also being sold to interested farmers at nominal rate.