Ningol Chakkouba 2024 Fish farm lines up 2000 Kgs of Pengba, Khabak

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 26 : Even as Ningol Chakkouba, one of the biggest  festivals of Meeteis which celebrates familial bond is drawing closer, S Tomba & Sons Integrated Fish Farm, based at Hiyang-thang is preparing to produce about 2000 Kgs of pengba and khabak fish varieties and sell them at a cheap rate.
Pengba is the State fish of Manipur.
Speaking to the media at his fish farm today, proprietor of S Tomba & Son Fish Farm, Soibam Surchandra (Pengba Surchandra) said that he will host a fish mela from November 2 to 3 (Ningol Chakkouba falls on November 3) and sell pengba and khabak fish varieties at a cheap price at his fish farm at Hiyangthang.
Surchandra has about 1500 Kgs of pengba and 500 Kgs of Khabak at his fish farm.
Stating that he will sell both pengba and khabak  at Rs 600 per Kg, Surchandra  added that people who will celebrate  the Ningol Chak-kouba festival in advance can also buy the fishes at the same rate starting today.
He  further said  that he will sell the two fish varieties at the rate he is offering till November  3.
Notably, Surchandra is a recipient of  Dr Hiralal Chaudhury National Best Fish Farmer Award given by the  Government of India.
He said that he didn't organise any fish mela  in the last two years due to the Covid pandemic and the unrest which is plaguing Mani- pur since May 3, 2023.
Surchandra continued that he decided to sell pengba and khabak at a cheap price during the time of Ningol Chakkouba so that people of Manipur especially those in relief camps can enjoy a savoury meal on the day of family reunion.
Saying that  the size of  the pengba he produced this year is comparably larger than previous years, he added that each pengba weighs between 300 and 500 gram.
He also said that the khabak at his fish farm were released about four years back.
Surchandra, meanwhile, said that he has attended the fish mela organised by the Fishery Department  nine times and had  won first position six times, second position (two times) and a third place  (one time).