Akshaya Kumar Sahu

A progressive farmer, Akshaya Kumar Sahu belongs to Astapura village, Mayurbhanj district in Balasore, Odisha. His father, Mr. Manoranjan Sahu, was also engaged in farming and cultivated Indian major crops, including Mirgal, Rohu, and Catla, using the traditional method, but the yield was low. With the help of experts from the ICAR Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), his brother, Mr. Sanjay Sahu, has also started a technical method of cultivating.

Mr. Sahu attended several training programs to learn about freshwater fish breeding and culture. In his hatchery, he began breeding indigenous species of Indian crops.

He started raising 25 varieties of freshwater fish, including scampi and freshwater prawns, and he extended his culture area to 100 acres in four different locations in Balasore.

In terms of rearing, breeding, and culturing, the largest fish hatchery in Odisha is Kailash Fish Hatchery. Also, Mr. Sahu delivered oxygenated fish yearlings to several countries at a minimal price.

Under ICARCIFA, his farm provides training to other farmers and is considered an aquaculture field school supported by the Ministry of Skill Development, Government of India. It provides various amenities, including a demonstration farm area, an incubator, a training hall, and an audiovisual room. Several farmers benefited from the training session.

With financial support from the subsidiary state scheme and the assistance of the State Fisheries Department, he established his own advanced technology on his farm site.

Financial support was also given for the recirculatory aquaculture system by the Department of Animal Husbandry, the National Fisheries Development Board, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.