India’s Union Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Rajiv Ranjan Singh said in New Delhi on Wednesday (September 11, 2024) that the Centre working to increase the seafood exports to ₹1 lakh crore annually from around ₹60,000 crore in the last financial year. Mr. Singh, launching a sub-scheme of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna(PMMSY), said the steps taken by the Centre will strengthen the foundation of the fishery sector of the country over the next five years.
Mr. Singh was addressing an event to mark the 4th Anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna (PMMSY) in New Delhi. Named as the Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), the sub scheme will have an investment plan of ₹6,000 crore and the Ministry said it will provide digital identities to around three crore stakeholders by creating a registry of fish workers and enterprises engaged in the fisheries value chain across the country.
“Various benefits such as institutional credit, performance grants, aquaculture insurance etc. can be availed through the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB),” the Ministry said.
Mr. Singh said the fishery sector remained neglected since Independence and Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government supported its growth with the PMSSY scheme, launched four years ago, with an outlay of over ₹20,000 crore. “As a result of these measures, the country’s fish production has increased to 175.45 lakh tonnes in 2023-24 from 95.79 lakh tonnes in 2013-14,” he said adding that there has been a lot of infrastructure development and technological improvement in the fishery sector after 2014.