In an effort to empower women in coastal areas, the government of the south Indian state of Kerala is rolling out a string of premium retail outlets selling value-added fish products across the country.
To begin with, it has set up a stall in Kochi and plans to follow it up in other districts of the state.
The Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation (KSCADC) is taking the initiative to open the stalls under the brand name ‘Fish Maid’ on a franchisee-basis.
“The state government plans empower women in the coastal areas and improve their livelihood by providing them training to produce pre mium fish products. The stalls are also intended to provide a strong marketing platform for the products made by them,” said state fisheries and ports minister K Babu.
According to KSCADC MD K Ampady, the outlets will sell a range of 18 products including tuna burger, salmon sandwich, fish spring roll, shrimp and crab soup, fish nuggets and fish fingers.
“We have avoided fish that have strong smell like sardines and mackerels as many didn’t like it during a pilot survey,” Ampady said.
The products will be manufactured and processed at KSCADC’s common facility centre in Kollam.
About 25 women from the coastal communities are given training in preparing and proc essing the products.
The corporation will open two more such production units in Thrissur and Kannur.
KSCADC hopes to spread to other states after establishing base in Kerala and studying the market response.
Babu said talks are on with the National Fisheries Development Board for setting up a fully-automated processing centre as well.
The state government is also toying with the idea of building three fish malls in Kerala.
2015 Times Internet Limited