Jai Baba Madhyagiri Fish Farmers Producer Company Limited

Jai Baba Madhyagiri Fish Farmers Producer Company Limited is based at Ajab Lal Mandal’s house in Maidantola. We are part of the Khajanapanch-Rata area in the Phulidumar block of Banka. It is a very rural spot and we are mostly just a collection of neighbors who have been raising fish for a long time. The company name sounds official but we are just the same people you see at the local market every week. We use Ajab Lal’s place to keep our notes and meet up when there is something important to discuss. Fishing is hard work and it depends so much on the weather and the water quality. We share tips on how to keep the fish healthy and how to get them to the market before they spoil. It is not a glamorous job at all. We are often covered in mud and smelling like the ponds, but that is the life we chose. Being in Phulidumar means we are a bit far from the big cities, so we have to rely on each other to get things done. We don't use any fancy technology, just the stuff we have learned from our fathers and grandfathers over the years. Sometimes we sit around for hours just debating which feed is better or how to handle the transport. It is a community effort more than a business enterprise. We just want to keep the tradition alive and make a bit of money.