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Path to Progress....Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana

by Madhavi Mihir Bhuta (National Executive Member, BJP Mahila Morcha)
Jan 07, 2021
Path to Progress....Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, Knowledge, KonexioNetwork.com

Bharat, our motherland has been predominantly a rural culture. Even today, with the fast paced  growth, industrialisation and technological boom in urban areas, big portion of the population still resides in and around  villages.

To ensure inclusive growth of every population of every corner of the nation, it is essential to strengthen our rural economy.

Farming, being pivotal to the rural economy, plays an important role in strengthening the economic process of the villages.

The Green revolution forms noteworthy part of an increase in GDP.

But, the farming alone can not support the growth engine as farming in Bharat is largely dependent on natural elements.

A failed monsoon or any other Nature’s  calamity can ruin the entire produce.

Hence, related rural occupations play a significant role too.

Animal Husbandry, Honey farming and Fisheries are additional sources of income in the rural sector.

To enrich the rural economic growth, the Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman announced Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with an objective of establishing robust fisheries management framework in her first budgetary speech of Modi-0.2 on July 5th 2019. This yojana addresses critical gaps in strengthening the value chain, including infrastructure, modernisation, traceability, production, productivity, post harvest management and quality control.

It would bring improvement in Aquaculture by adopting novel techniques of Fish breeding, Fish rearing, Fish marketing and Fish export.

A new dedicated department of Fisheries was constituted in a newly carved out Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying to implement PMMSY and other related policies and initiatives.

PMMSY would ensure Mechanical and Technical Development and create facilities of Co-operatives and Marketing of Fishing.

Through PMMSY, for the first time Insurance coverage for fishing vessels is being introduced.

Through area specific development plans, more focus would be given for fisheries development in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and in Northeast and other aspirations districts.

PMMSY would focus more on new and emerging technologies like Re-circulatory Aquaculture Systems, Biofloc, Aquaponics, Cage cultivation, etc. to enhance production and productivity, quality, productivity utilisation of wasteland and water for Aquaculture.

The PMMSY intends to develop coastal fisher communities in a holistic manner through integrated modern coastal fishing villages with necessary infrastructure.

Bharat has extensive coastline covering Western, Southern and Eastern borders. The Bharatiya landscape beholds innumerable rivers and its tributaries.

The Central Government has set a target to augment Fish production to achieve its target of 15 Million tonnes by 2020 and to raise it thereafter to about 20 Million tonnes by 2022-23 under the Blue Revolution.

The scheme intends to raise the average annual growth of Fish production 9% per year.

Bharat, is the second largest Fish producing country, after China, with total Fish production of 10.07 Million Tonnes in 2019, earning Foreign exchange of 45,106.89 Crore in 2017-18.

The Scheme will result in doubling export earnings from 46,589 Crores in 2018-19 to 1,00,000 Crores by 2024-25.

Domestic Fish consumption would be enhanced from 5-6 kg to about 12 kg per capita.

Fishing constitute about 6.3 percent of global Fish production. The sector contributes 1.1 percent of the GDP and 5.15 percent of the Agro GDP.

Fishing accounts for around 10 Percent of the total exports of the country and nearly 20 percent of the Agricultural exports.

Bharat, is the second largest aquaculture and the fourth largest fish exporting nation in the world.

As a result of an increase in temperature in the atmosphere, many species of fishes are going extinct. The fishermen also have to travel deeper inside the ocean for fishing.

The Central Government would support the Fisher community in acquiring technologically advanced fishing vessels for promoting deep sea fishing and upgrading the fishing vessels for improving the export competitiveness, communications and tracking devices as well as Bio-Toilets in fishing vessels.

The financial aid would also bring a huge boost in employment generation and is intended to provide employment opportunities to 5.5 million people in the next five years.

Through Fish farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs), fishers and fish farmers would be organised to increase the bargaining power of fishers and fish farmers.

Central Government intends to engage more youth in fisheries by creation of 3347 Sagar Mitras in coastal fisher villages. Additionally, a large number of Fisheries Extension Service Centres would be set up in private space to create more job opportunities to the young professionals.

Marin culture, Seaweed cultivation and Ornamental Fisheries activities would impact the employment generation.

The Central Government has announced 20,000 Crore outlay to enhance the Inland Fisheries through PradhanMantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

Out of this, 11,000 Crore would be utilised in promoting inland, marine fisheries and aquacare and the remaining 9,000 Crore would be deployed for building fishery infrastructure like harbours and cold storage chains.

The scheme envisages promotion of high value species by establishing Nucleus Breeding Center for Self reliance in Shrimp Broodstock.

The scheme PMMSY would ensure end to end traceability from “Catch to Consumer” and aquatic health management supported by a modern laboratory network.

Bharat’s first Mega Aqua Food Park was inaugurated in Bhimavaram Mandal in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

Bharat’s first technology park for Ornamental fishes, I.e. Aquatic Rainbow Technology Park (ARTP) was opened at Chennai.

It is an ultra modern exclusive facility for Ornamental fish equipped with multi-species hatchery and live feed culture units.

The Ornamental Fish trade has immense potential for both the overseas and domestic trade, the proper mechanism is yet to be established.

The Central Government has identified this sector as one of the thrust areas for development to augment exports.

Tamilnadu, is second largest exporter after Bengal for Ornamental fishes.

The facilities such as training institutes are being developed by Fisheries College and Research Institute (FCRI) at Ponneri in Tamilnadu. It would also develop breeding technologies for high value indigenous ornamental fish species and ensure quality fish seeds in bulk quantities.

Jyoti Mandal from Madhepura, Bihar is a post graduate from JNU, but he has opted for farming. Initially Farming did not fetch him growth and hardly made enough money. He ventured to do fish farming and post implementation of PMMSY, he has increased his income by 5 to 10 %.

Initially, the required chara (food) was be bought from Andhra Pradesh it Chattisgarh but Jyoti Mandal has begun cultivating it locally and supplying it at reasonable rate to farmers, inspiring them to venture into Fish farming.

PradhanMantriji’s vision of a comprehensive growth model is a true indicator of strengthened rural areas with equilibrium across the nation.

The White Revolution through developing Dairy industry, Brown Revolution through Honey farming and Blue Revolution through Fish Farming have surely created a colourful route to the progress of the nation, where no area or sector is left out.