Five ice plants constructed in different parts of the state under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme of the Ministry of Fisheries have almost been completed and would soon provide requisite ice to fish farmers in preserving their catch.
The ice plants were con strutted as part of Post Harvest and Cold Chain Infrastructure of PMMSY scheme to minimize post-harvest losses, improve quality and safety of fish products to acceptable standards and to improve fish preservation facilities to make available fish round the year, informed director (fisheries) Heisnam Balkrishna.
In an exclusive interview, Balkrishna told The People’s Chronicle that majority of the people in Manipur are very fond of fish but indigenous fish production could not meet local demand. Amidst the shortage, fishermen are facing difficulties in preservation of fish they catch and accordingly get spoiled due to lack of ice.
To solve this problem, the fisheries department initiated construction of five ice plants in different areas under PMMSY scheme, he said. For convenience of fish farmers of Imphal West and Bishnupur districts, one Oinam Saratchandra has been taking up construction of an ice plant at Shamushang while one Khumanthem Rakesh is being engaged for the ice plant at Shamushang Shantipur for convenience of fish farmers of Mayai Lambi, Laphupat Tera and Kakching district.
For convenience of fish farmers of Imphal East district, one Oinam Lilando has been undertaking construction of an ice plant at Chana in Imphal East district. For the convenience of fish farmers of Thoubal and Kakching districts, one Moirangthem Nirmala has been taking initiative in construction of another ice plant at Tentha.
The fifth ice plant is being constructed at Moirang Patlou under the initiative of one Hemam Rajesh for convenience of fish farmers of Bishnupur district, informed Balkrishna. According to the director, the state is able to produce 32,000 metric tonne of fish in a year at present but the state consumes around 52,000 metric tonne fish in a year thereby facing shortage of 20,000 metric tonne fish.
Accordingly, ice plants are required to prevent spoiling of fish caught by farmers at different places of the state, he said. While informing that PMMSY scheme was introduced in the year 2020, Heisnam Balkrishna said unit cost of construction of one ice plant is Rs 40 lakh but a beneficiary will get 60 percent subsidy if he/she happens to be ST/SC community and 40 percent subsidy for general category beneficiary.
The ice plant at Chana in Imphal East is almost completed while the other four ice plants are targeted for completion by the end of this year. All the ice plants would have completed by now but got delayed due to unstable law and order situation in the state.
Nevertheless, all the materials required for the plants have reached the state and would be completed soon, he affirmed. The fisheries director further informed that fish consumption is increasing as people are now well aware of higher nutritional value of fish than meat. Accordingly, state government has been taking up various schemes to increase fish production in the state, he added.