New packing to preserve Himalayan trout longer

A high-tech packaging plant that may come up in Himachal Pradesh will help prolong the shelf life of one of the rarest and tastiest Himalayan river fish, the trout. Trout is found only in crystal-clear, snow-fed streams and in waters where the temperature is below 12 degrees Celsius. "Vacuum-packing trout (fish), like other processed foods, will enhance its shelf life," said a fisheries department official. "

A high-tech packaging plant that may come up in Himachal Pradesh will help prolong the shelf life of one of the rarest and tastiest Himalayan river fish, the trout. Trout is found only in crystal-clear, snow-fed streams and in waters where the temperature is below 12 degrees Celsius. "Vacuum-packing trout (fish), like other processed foods, will enhance its shelf life," said a fisheries department official. "It will also promote its production by private and government fish farms in the state," he added. The vacuum-packaging unit is proposed in the Kullu valley. The idea has reportedly got a nod from the central agriculture ministry. "A detailed project proposal to establish the unit is to be submitted to the agriculture ministry in New Delhi soon," the official added. Experts say once the lifespan of the frozen trout increases considerably, it can be easily sent to all major cities across the country and even exported. "Currently, people from top hotels of Delhi come to our plant in Kullu and have to painstakingly make their own ice packaging arrangements to ship them by truck to Delhi as the fish is highly perishable," another official told IANS. "Both government and private producers have to currently make their own arrangements to transport trout to Delhi and other places in northern India," he added. One kilogram of trout fetches around Rs.200 in New Delhi. The cost of producing a kilogram of trout is estimated at Rs. 120. Officials say the current production of trout is around 24 tonnes in half a dozen trout farms in the state. Almost 30 tonnes is further produced by 26 private fish farms across the hill state. The target in the next five years is to produce 500 tonnes in both the government and private spheres. The Kullu fish farm received a major setback two years ago when a rare viral disease wiped out a large population of the fish. The mysterious disease was brought under control only after Norwegian scientists were brought in.