Fifteen years ago, Martin George Palakkaran, a resident of Thalayolaparambu, Vaikom, Kottayam district, started fish farming. He had experience in various fields, from civil contracting to dairy farming and kennel management, before venturing into fish farming. Martin says that among all the ventures he undertook, fish farming proved to be the most profitable and enjoyable. He cultivates Pangasius on 25 acres – 15 acres in Thalayolaparambu Chirattakadavu and 10 acres in Idukki Anakkara, bringing at least 200 tons of fish to the market annually. However, Kerala is not Martin's sole market. Large-scale seafood companies from various states, including the online food marketing venture ‘Fresh to Home’, are his customers.

"Large-scale fish farming is a big risk," says Martin. "If cattle or dogs fall sick, you can notice it.  But you can't tell the condition of fish in the water. Sometimes, you can face heavy losses.  But you can also achieve huge profits.  However, if you identify a suitable fish species, practice scientific farming, and secure a profitable market, you can achieve high profits—there’s no doubt about that."

Pangasius: A profitable fish
Martin believes Pangasius is the most profitable species in commercial fish farming. It has various names in Kerala like Malaysian Vaala and Kuri Vaala, but its actual name is Pangasius Sutchi. It's a foreign species with excellent taste. It grows to one kilogram in six months and two kilograms in a year. Those who target only the local market usually harvest fish weighing 1.5–2 kg after 8–10 months, as larger fish are not typically sold in the local market.

But Martin's approach is different. He harvests only Pangasius weighing at least 3 kg.  In the local market, the average price is 56 rupees per kilogram.  Traders take a 30 kg commission per 1000 kg. However, large companies like ‘Fresh to Home’, which supply cleaned and cut fish and fish dishes, require fish weighing at least 3 kg. Their demand can reach 15–20 tons at a time, and they pay up to 74 rupees per kilogram without any commission. That's 18 rupees more per kilogram than the local market price—18,000 rupees per ton!

While Pangasius farming exists in many states, including Andhra Pradesh, its popularity ensures a relatively stable price. (However, Martin notes that Malayalis don't favour Pangasius as much because of its high fat content.  Fat accumulates in the belly, and the entire belly must be removed along with the head and tail when cleaning, otherwise the curry will be too oily. Large-scale buyers remove the belly before marketing.)

Martin has 11 ponds, each roughly an acre in size, in Thalayolaparambu. While the usual stocking density is 20,000 fingerlings per acre, he stocks up to 30,000. The price of fingerlings ranges from 2.40 to 5 rupees depending on their size. For the first three months, they are raised in a secure nursery pond with starter feed before being released into open ponds.  Thereafter, they are fed entirely with food waste, including oil and fat-containing waste. Although this can reduce oxygen levels in the water, Pangasius can surface to breathe atmospheric air, so water quality isn't a major problem.

After a year, the first harvest takes place. Only fish weighing at least 3 kg are harvested. Each pond yields an average of 5 tons. Pangasius are voracious eaters; those that eat enthusiastically grow rapidly.  Harvesting them accelerates the growth of the remaining fish.  In subsequent harvests, again, only fish reaching 3 kg are harvested.  Martin’s Pangasius are of different ages in various ponds, allowing him to harvest 20–30 tons whenever there is demand.  He harvests an average of 200 tons of fish annually, amounting to approximately 1.5 crore rupees in sales. Martin says his net profit is around 50 lakh rupees per year.

An opportunity not to be missed
In Thalayolaparambu, Martin converted fallow paddy fields into ponds by removing water hyacinth and weeds, excavating soil, and building bunds at considerable expense.  Similarly, in Anakkara, he cleaned up and leased abandoned, unproductive ponds in coastal areas with sand deposits. In both locations, he transformed unproductive lands into food-producing areas.  Paddy field fish farming is expensive; the bunds need significant yearly maintenance as the fish can damage them. Martin has faced opposition to converting paddy fields for fish farming. However, many acres of paddy fields have been left fallow for years.  Martin suggests that using these areas for fish farming could significantly boost food production.

Martin emphasizes that Pangasius farming benefits both farmers and society. The fish are fed with food waste and expired food products that were previously discarded into streets and water bodies, posing an environmental threat.  He collects and grinds these wastes for feed, including expired food products from chapatti shops and bakeries.  This is an effective utilization of organic waste and transforms food waste into protein-rich food production.

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