Rohu fingerlings stocked in Mymensingh pond to produce safer fish

Researchers from the United States and Bangladeshi universities, as part of their study on consumer willingness to pay more for safer fish and chicken, have stocked a farmer's pond in Muktagacha of Mymensingh district with rohu fingerlings.

Bangladesh Fishery Research Institute (BFRI) director general, Yahia Mahmud attended the fish stocking programme as chief guest, and A H M Kohinur, director Administration & Finance), was the special guest.

A multidisciplinary team of microbiologists, food scientists, economists, and social scientists are implementing the project, said a press release.

At the programme, the director general said this project will be successful and fish farmers will be interested in producing safer fish in a sustainable fashion.

He believes rational farmers will come forward to implement the knowhow and technology.

DG Yahia Mahmud thanked Feed the Future for the Food Safety Innovation lab of USAID, for funding this project in Bangladesh.

Dr A H M Kohinur also emphasised the inner idea of this knowledge.

Principal investigator for the Feed the Future food safety for the innovation lab, Prof Md Saidur Rahman, presided over the opening ceremony.

Other team members, Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman Khan and Prof KHM Nazmul Hussain Nazir, Mahbub Hossain, associate professor of Agricultural Economics, were present at the programme. 

The pond was prepared and the rohu fish and other fingerlings stocked, upon the direction of BFRI researchers.  Feed recommended by researchers will be supplied to the pond and will be strictly monitored by project personnel.

The pond fish will be lab tested and the price point checked with consumers, to see if they are willing to pay a higher price for safer fish.

The project authority believes the pond owner will definitely get a higher price for his fish.

Pond fish farmers in that area discussed some of their problems with the DG and other fish scientists.

The overarching goal of this project is to promote informed decisions and actions that enhance food safety and quality of farmed fish (tilapia, pangasius, and rohu) and frozen chicken product (drumstick) value chains in Bangladesh, by integrating multidisciplinary research, training, and outreach in food safety.

The Project Management Team (PMT) has individuals from academia and food safety administration in Bangladesh, thus increasing the overall impact of project outcomes.

The project integrates human dimensions of food safety with the natural sciences.