An increasing number of farmers in Jumla are turning to fish farming to achieve self-reliance, particularly focusing on rainbow trout suited to the district’s cold climate.

Devendra Raj Giri of ward 9 and Delhi Bahadur Rawal of ward 6 in Chandannath Municipality have been farming trout for six years. They first brought 15,000 fingerlings from Nuwakot in 2020, but failed to sustain them due to a lack of technical knowledge. Rawal said transporting each fingerling cost Rs19 at the time.

After gaining experience, they now stock ponds annually. Giri said the initial years were experimental, but they have recently begun selling fish and aim to produce their own fingerlings. So far, they have stocked over 90,000 fingerlings but say returns remain limited as the venture is still in a testing phase.

Rainbow trout sells for around Rs1,800 per kg in the market, though they sell at Rs1,300. One large pond has five canals, each producing up to 150 kg of fish.

Giri said he began by releasing fingerlings into a nearby stream seven years ago. Although early results were promising, snowfall wiped out the stock. He later studied trout farming online and invested over Rs5 million in infrastructure, feed and stock. He has also leased land for 10 years to build a hotel near the farm.

Fish are currently sold in Khalanga and nearby markets, with potential expansion to Surkhet, Nepalgunj, Mugu and Kalikot. Farmers say demand is high, but the lack of fisheries experts in Jumla remains a challenge.

Gyanendra Singh Budthapa, chief of the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Office in Jumla, said there is no dedicated fishery specialist. He said technical support is limited, though no major disease outbreaks have been reported so far.

Rajendra Budha of ward 6 of Patarasi Rural Municipality has been farming fish for five years. He said fish farming has strong potential in the region’s cold climate.

“This can generate income,” he said. “People used to mock me when I built ponds. Now they are encouraged after seeing the results.”

His first batch of 15,000 fingerlings brought from Sunakhani, Nuwakot, in 2020 did not survive. In the second attempt, 20,000 out of 30,000 fingerlings brought from Rasuwa survived. Of them, he has already sold 10,000, while another 10,000 remain in the pond.

Budha said he has been earning from fish farming for the past two years, selling fish worth Rs732,000. He has invested Rs1.775 million so far and currently has around 15,000 market-ready fish.

His produce is sold in Khalanga. As the ponds are around 8 km from the district headquarters, customers often place orders, and he delivers fish to their homes.

Budha has also been supplying fingerlings to Dolpa and Sinja, helping other farmers start fish farming. He said this has encouraged local employment.

Ganesh Budha of ward 7 of the same rural municipality also started fish farming in 2020 after returning from foreign employment. After one-and-a-half years of trials, he shifted to commercial production.

He began with 160 fingerlings, all of which survived, encouraging him to expand. Last monsoon, he built two ponds and stocked 5,000 fingerlings. He has already sold 45 kg of fish at Rs1,800 per kg and still has around 170 kg ready for market.

Ganesh, who had worked in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait between 2012 and 2020, said he chose fish farming to build a livelihood at home.

“There is no point going abroad forever,” he said. “I wanted to do something in my own village.”