Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Manipur’s indigenous Meitei Sareng, a freshwater shark once locally extinct, is staging a comeback. Targeted farming under the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme has slashed state imports from Myanmar and Bangladesh by 60 per cent. This growth brings a major haul to the upcoming Annual Fish Fair-Cum-Fish Crop Competition on November 11, 2026.
Farmer Laimujam Dinamani leads the charge. The 42-year-old from Thoubal district manages a seven-hectare operation with 16 large ponds and four smaller ones. He employs four workers at daily rates between Rs 300 and Rs 400. His enterprise generates Rs 40 lakh annually.
Dinamani shifted to scientific farming in 2016. He began reviving the Sareng in 2021 by importing fingerlings from Kolkata at Rs 120 to Rs 150 each. Beyond the Sareng, his ponds house Ngaton, Pengba, Ngamu, Ngakra, Ukabi, Ngapai, Tunghanbi, and various carp.
Production climbed steadily. Dinamani hit 2,000 kg in 2022, 2,600 kg in 2023, 4,000 kg in 2024, and 5,000 kg in 2025. He expects to sell 6,000 kg at the November 11 fair. Prices have fluctuated from Rs 1,200 down to Rs 1,100 per kg at government rates.
Success hides a financial sting. Dinamani says officials have failed to pay a 50 per cent subsidy promised by former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on July 10, 2021. He noted, "The state government had yet to disburse the promised subsidy to local Meitei Sareng cultivators."
Dinamani now bears the full burden of expansion costs alone. He previously won first prize in 2022 with a 22 kg specimen, followed by third-place finishes in 2024 and 2025. His farm remains the sole supplier for the upcoming festival stock.
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