Improving The Economy, The Village Community Of Sawah Hamlet In Bengkulu Held Fish Cultivation, Takes Advantage Of Irrigation Channels

Residents of Dusun Sawah Village, North Curup District, Rejang Lebong Regency use irrigation channels in their village to cultivate freshwater fish. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The people of Dusun Sawah Village, Rejang Lebong Regency, Bengkulu, who usually rely on the business of making coffee powder, now have additional positive activities. For some time they have been cultivating freshwater fish by utilizing irrigation canals.

Village Head of Dusun Sawah, Curup Utara District, Ruslan when contacted at Rejang Lebong, Sunday, said that the cultivation of freshwater fish types of tilapia and gold is carried out by residents who are members of the Bambu Gading Fisheries Group using their own or independent capital.

"The cultivation of tilapia and carp is carried out by residents in irrigation canals that are up to 50 meters long. These irrigation canals are divided using boards into five plots," he said as reported by ANTARA, Sunday, March 5.

He explained, cultivating fish in the irrigation canal of Dusun Sawah Village could improve the community's economy and create new jobs, and would become the village's superior product apart from the business of making coffee powder.

Meanwhile, the cultivation of catfish which is funded by village funds for the food security program is carried out by village officials together with residents by building 15 units of tarpaulin ponds.

He said that from the village fund program for the construction of 15 tarpaulin ponds containing catfish. Each pond contains thousands of catfish seeds and in the near future, according to him, they can be harvested.

Cultivating catfish using a tarpaulin pond was carried out in Dusun III, Dusun Sawah Village. The results of this catfish cultivation will later be developed into shredded catfish, so that it will become one of the superior products of local residents.

Meanwhile, Joni (35), a resident of Dusun Sawah who participates in cultivating tilapia in irrigation canals, said that so far irrigation canals in their village have only been used to irrigate rice fields.

"We took the initiative to utilize this irrigation canal for cultivating tilapia and carp, the water is swift, the water is still clean and the potential is quite good," Joni admits.