Economics of Fresh Water Cultured Fish Production in Odisha and Bihar, India: A Comparative Analysis

Fisheries and aquaculture are important sectors that provide nutritional security, contribute to agricultural exports, and provide livelihoods to about 28 million fishermen, fish farmers, and other value-chain actors. The study was conducted in two states of Eastern India, i.e. Odisha and Bihar, to estimate the comparative economics of freshwater fish production and its profitability. The results showed that the cost of fish production was estimated to be Rs. 346943.45/ha of pond, constituting Rs. 208582.74 as a variable cost and Rs.138360.71 as a fixed cost in Odisha. In Bihar, the per hectare fish production for an average pond size was estimated to be Rs. 318445.47, comprising variable cost as Rs 188061.82 and fixed cost as Rs. 130383.64. On average, per hectare, fish production in Odisha from all ponds was estimated to be 45.69 quintals, while in Bihar, it was 35.67 quintals. The profitability analysis revealed that in Odisha, per hectare gross income, on average, for all ponds was Rs. 717763.06. In the case of Bihar, the gross income for all the ponds was calculated to be Rs. 540352.02/ha. It was concluded that returns on investments in all pond categories were comparatively higher in Odisha than in different pond size groups of Bihar.