Srinagar- Fish production in Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a substantial surge in the last four years, data from the Fisheries Department, J&K reveals. According to the data, the production of fish in Kashmir has increased by 5840 tons, generating 366.12 lakhs of revenue during this period. The production of trout has increased from 598 tons in 2019 to 1990 tons during the financial year 2022-23.
Director Fisheries, Mohammed Farooq Dar told Kashmir Observer that the government has launched several initiatives to boost the industry and help the farmers in the production. He said that a total of 1144 Trout Rearing Units have been established under the Private sector, with 56% (611 units) being set up in the last four years to create employment opportunities for the youth.
“The land and water efficient fish culture technologies such as Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) and Biofloc have been introduced for the first time in 2020-21. Over the last three years, 27 successful biofloc and 8 RAS units have been established in the private sector, ” he added.
An official from the fisheries department said that the fisheries sector has emerged as a pivotal source of food and employment generation during the last four years, marking major achievements in the introduction of Trout culture, Carp culture, and modern aquaculture technologies (RAS, Biofloc, etc) in the private sector.
“Although Fisheries and Aquaculture have grown in absolute terms, the development in terms of its potential and adoption of fisheries as an economic enterprise is being realized after 2019. Trout production increased by 1392 tons in these years,,” he said.
He further said as the fisheries sector is extremely diverse and dynamic, the department introduced new schemes, infused public and private investments, and took innovative steps for the benefit of farmers and fishers towards optimal resource utilization and development of the sector as an instrument of growth.
“The department has launched a comprehensive fisheries development initiative under both the UT CAPEX and under Centrally Sponsored scheme Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) which is being implemented in the UT from 2020.”
“During the last four years the department modernized and strengthened the Govt infrastructure on one hand and also increased the rearing space by establishment of hatcheries and raceway/ponds,” he said, adding that the department is expecting an increase in the growth rate from existing 3.28% to 40% over the next 05 years.
“The implementation of such a plan shall pave the way to make the UT self-sufficient in fish production,” he said.
Dar told Kashmir Observer that the department, for the first time in 2020, extended the KCC (Kisan Credit Card) to fishers to increase capital and credit flow to the aquaculture sector. As of September 2023, 1171 cases have been sponsored, out of which 758 have been sanctioned. An amount of 7819.23 lakhs has been disbursed to meet the working capital requirement of fish farmers.
He informed that Fish Feed Mills and Trout seed hatcheries have been established during the last four years as economic enterprises. The fund flow to the fisheries under the UT CAPEX (Plan) Budget has been increased by 34%, he added.
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