Punjab, Hry to export fish, hub in the works

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 26

While fishery is largely associated with coastal states, the Centre is planning to create North India as an export hub for the sector.

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, otherwise known as the grain bowl of the country.

“So far, South India was a major export hub for fishes. Now we are planning to make North India an export hub. This includes almost 2.25 lakh hectares in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh where there is saline water.

“We will promote prawns and other species that can be exported. After we got (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 generate 55 lakh direct and indirect 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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Will cover 2.25L hectares

* Hub will be spread across 2.25L hectares of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP

* Focus will be on prawns, other export varieties of fish in areas with saline water