Socio-Economic Aspects and Aquaculture Practices of Fish Farmers in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

The present study evaluated the socio-economic characteristics and aquaculture practices of fish farmers in Gorakhpur, Deoria, and Kushinagar districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. A total of 207 fish farmers were surveyed between December 2024 and February 2025 through structured personal interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews, comprising 53 respondents from Gorakhpur, 76 from Deoria, and 78 from Kushinagar. Respondents were predominantly male and belonged to the middle-aged group (26-55 years), with most having intermediate or graduate-level education and operating small to medium-sized farms (0.5-5 acres). Aquaculture was the principal source of income in Gorakhpur and Deoria, whereas agriculture was the major livelihood source in Kushinagar, with most respondents reporting annual incomes of ₹1-10 lakhs. Pond-based aquaculture was dominant, groundwater was the primary water source, and composite fish culture was the most widely adopted production system. Hatcheries were the principal source of fish seed, while catfish was the most preferred cultured species, followed by Indian Major Carps, Exotic Major Carps, and pacu. These findings demonstrate the important contribution of aquaculture to rural livelihoods and income generation in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. However, limitations related to the cross-sectional survey design and the absence of advanced analytical modelling restrict the identification of causal relationships between socio-economic factors, management practices, and farm productivity. The findings provide useful baseline information for strengthening technical assistance, quality input supply, market access, and capacity-building programmes, while further analytical research is needed to identify the key determinants of productivity and economic performance.