Cash crunch major hurdle in fish production: Department of Fisheries

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Assam imports 14–15 MT of fish daily to meet the demand of the state. To be self-sufficient in production by 2026, the Department of Fisheries in the state needs around Rs 3,990 crore.

In 2020–21, the state produced 3.93 MT of fish. The production of fish increased to over four lakh MT in 2021–22, 4.5 lakh MT in 2022–23, and around five lakh MT in 2023–24. However, the department falls short of meeting the state’s demand for fish, which also keeps rising.

On the varied prices of fish in different markets and excessive use of formalin in imported fish, the official of the department said, “We don’t have the proper mechanism like set rules and procedures to follow to solve such problems.”

On fish production, he said, “We want to improve the situation in fish production in the state to meet the demand for the commodity in the state. However, the cash crunch is the major obstacle to any venture. We are contemplating approaching funding agencies for loans to increase fish production in the state.”

The official further said that the dearth of adequate cold storage facilities in the state is also a problem. “Quality fish seeds, a shortage of fish seeds, and a lack of an adequate number of hatcheries are some other obstacles the department continues to face,” he said.

The quality of the soil, according to the official, has much to do with fish production. The official said, “The department needs over Rs 200 crore for better post-harvest management of fish. It involves value addition, processing, carrier systems, and the like. The department needs another Rs 90 crore for introducing modern fish technology like biofloc and RAS (Recirculatory Aquaculture System) technologies, etc.”

On fish seed production, the official said, “In the past few years, the department has been able to increase fish seed production by 160 percent and fish production by over 30 percent. At the same time, the per capita consumption of fish also rose by 20 percent.

Also Read: Use of formaldehyde in imported fish: Gauhati HC seeks report on action taken by Fishery Department (sentinelassam.com)

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