Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 26
The Centre is planning to develop North India into a fishery export hub.
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Giriraj Singh today said prawns and other export varieties of fish would be promoted in saline waters of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and western UP.
Will cover 2.25L hectares
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Hub will be spread across 2.25L hectares in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP
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Focus will be on prawns, other export varieties of fish in areas having saline water
“We will promote prawns and other species that can be exported. After (positive) results from assessments, we took it up with state governments,” said Singh. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) aims at enhancing fish production to 220 lakh metric tonnes by 2024-25 from 137.58 lakh metric tonnes in 2018-19 at an average annual growth rate of about 9 per cent. It will be “economic revolution through blue revolution”, said Singh, adding the country exported fish valued at Rs 46,589 crore during 2018-19 fiscal.
The PMMSY would result in doubling export earnings to Rs 1,00,000 crore and 55 lakh jobs in fisheries sector over the next five years, he added. The scheme envisages an estimated investment of Rs 20,050 crore.
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