The upazila administration in Trishal, Mymensingh, has developed a way to increase fish production using Artificial Intelligence (AI). It protects cropland, raises fish output fourfold and can save 70 percent of fish even when gas tablets are put in a pond.

The trial began in a 52-decimal government pond in Kanihari union and has succeeded. Setting up the AI technology on the 52 decimals cost Tk 26 lakh, but officials say it could cost about Tk 5 lakh per acre at farmer level.

Many farmers feed their fish regularly and care for them but still do not get the expected growth and lose money at sale. The reasons include not knowing the health of the pond or how much oxygen it needs. A year ago the upazila administration set out to solve this, installing sensors in a government pond and linking them to a mobile app.

• Feed-spreading machines were placed around the pond, and devices above and below the water raise oxygen supply.
• The AI system constantly checks oxygen and ammonia levels and decides when and how much to feed, switching equipment on automatically as needed.
• Pond health data is shown in graphics, so action can be taken quickly, with no manual work.
• If someone puts gas tablets (a poison that kills fish by removing oxygen) in the pond, the system generates oxygen immediately without cylinders and can save 70 percent of the fish.

Ponds are usually 5 to 6 feet deep, but in this system they can be up to 18 feet deep, so more fish can be raised on less land with less feed. Conventionally 150 to 200 pangas can be stocked per decimal; this system stocks 1,200. In the trial pond of 58 decimals, 72,000 pangas were stocked. The local fisheries department says such technology is used in many countries and would benefit farmers and fish quality here.

Upazila fisheries officer Samsuzzaman Masum said the aim is to produce three to four times more fish in a small area, with sensors automatically tracking oxygen, temperature and other parameters. Rony Saha, fisheries instructor at Kishoreganj Diploma Institute, said the Tk 26 lakh cost included Tk 10 lakh for software development and Tk 16 lakh for devices, and the system can produce 64 kg of oxygen an hour. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jewel Ahmed said farmer training is being arranged and one pond in each union will be farmed this way to build interest, with staff monitoring them constantly.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.