Centre to develop Punjab, Haryana as fish export hub

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 26

The central government is planning expand prawn farming in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh as it plans to turn India into a major hub for exporting fish.

Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Giriraj Singh said that the central government was considering a proposal to introduce prawns and fish that are typically found in the sea to the saline waters of India’s northern states that are usually considered the country’s foodgrain bowl.  

“So far, south India was a major export hub for fishes. Now we are planning to make north India as an export hub. This includes almost 2.25 lakh hectares in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh where there is saline water,” he said at a conference regarding new scheme Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

“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,” Singh said.

The PMMSY scheme aims at enhancing India’s fish production to 220 lakh metric tons by 2024-25 from 137.58 lakh metric tons in 2018-19 at an average annual growth rate of about 9 per cent.

It will be “economic revolution through blue revolution” Singh said adding that the country exported fish valued Rs 46,589 crore during the 2018-19 fiscal.

Exports from India are expected to decline due to Covid-19 lockdown by around 5-10 per cent in 2019-20 due to demand compression. The US, Middle East, UK and China are main export destinations for fish.

Asserting that there was a huge potential to increase exports in the coming years, the minister said the government also planned to promote export of seaweed and ornamental fish.

Singh said the ambitious scheme will result in doubling export earnings to Rs 1,00,000 crore and generate about 55 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities in fisheries sector over a period of next five years.

The scheme envisages an estimated investment of Rs 20,050 crore comprising central share of Rs 9,407 crore, state share of Rs 4,880 crore and beneficiaries’ contribution of Rs 5,763 crore. The thrust will be given towards enhancement of fish production and productivity, quality, sustainability, technology infusion, post-harvest infrastructure, modernisation and strengthening of value chain, standards and traceability in fisheries sector from ‘catch to consumer’, establishing a robust fisheries management framework, fishers’ welfare, enhancement of fisheries export competitiveness.  

The sector recorded an Average Annual Growth Rate of 10.88 per cent during 2014-15 to 2018-19, 7.53 per cent average annual growth in fish production and 9.71 per cent average annual growth in export earnings, with 18 per cent share in agricultural exports

The Gross Value Added (GVA) of Fisheries sector in the national economy during 2018-19 stood at Rs 2,12,915 crore which constituted 1.24 per cent of the total National GVA and 7.28 per cent share of Agricultural GVA, official figures show.

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