Salam Rohendro Singh, an emerging fish farmer from Manipur, continues to make his state proud with his remarkable achievements in fish farming. Singh, hailing from Laphupat Tera in Imphal West, has been invited for the third time to share his expertise with young civil service probationers at the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussorrie. The invitation comes as part of the academy’s 99th foundation course, running from August 26 to November 29, 2024. Singh will address the new batch of All India Services officers, including those from the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Forest Service, Central Services, and the Royal Bhutan Service.
Singh expressed his profound happiness and surprise at being selected to lecture future bureaucrats. “It’s beyond my imagination to be invited to speak to individuals who have passed one of the toughest exams to become top bureaucrats. This recognition from LBSNAA feels like a validation of my 20-year journey in fish farming,” said Singh, who is in his 50s. Singh’s previous invitations to the academy in February 2023 and October 2023 have been milestones in his career. His accolades include the first prize at the State Level Fish Fair 2021 for the highest fish production, the Haricharan Das Best Progressive Fish Farmer Award in 2022 from the College of Fisheries, Lembucherra, Tripura, and the ICAR Farmer Innovative Award in 2023 for his revival of Sareng (Wallago attu) in Umiam, Meghalaya.
Starting with a small plot two decades ago, Singh’s dedication to fish farming has transformed his operations. Despite an initial 12-year period of limited focus, he shifted to a scientific approach over the past eight years, expanding his farm to five hectares. Singh now rears various fish species and generates an annual income of approximately Rs 20 lakh from producing one ton of fish per hectare. Singh’s efforts in reviving Sareng fish were bolstered by a 50 percent subsidy announced by Chief Minister N Biren Singh in 2021. Singh has imported Sareng fingerlings from other states and countries and is now working on breeding Sareng at his farm, despite facing challenges. He hopes for more state government support to overcome these obstacles.
