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22,921 Fish Farmers Trained as Govt Doubles Down on Aquaculture Skilling

The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana has significantly ramped up structured skilling for the fisheries sector, benefiting 22,921 participants through 499 training programs in just six months. The initiative focuses on equipping farmers with modern scientific practices and technologies like Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and Biofloc to enhance productivity and sustainability. A financial component of Rs 2.93 crore has been allocated via the National Fisheries Development Board for these training and capacity-building programs through 2027. The government states this push will modernize the value chain, ensure food security, and contribute to the nation's socio-economic growth through employment generation.

Key Points: Govt Skilling Boosts 22,921 Fish Farmers Under PMMSY Scheme

  • 499 training programs in six months
  • Focus on modern tech like RAS & Biofloc
  • Rs 2.93 crore earmarked for capacity building
  • Aims to reduce post-harvest losses
  • Roadmap set for 2025-2027 training
2 min read

Govt doubles down on structured skilling for fish farmers, 22,921 benefitted

Over 22,921 beneficiaries trained in 499 programs under PM Matsya Sampada Yojana to modernize fisheries with tech like RAS & Biofloc.

"This initiative will ultimately contribute towards unlocking the potential of the sector, generating employment and thus, contributing to the socio-economic growth of the nation. - Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying"

New Delhi, Jan 10

In a bid to empower fishers and fish farmers by enhancing their technical skills, promoting the adoption of scientific practices, and ensuring environmentally responsible operations, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana emphasises skill development and capacity building as critical enablers for modernising the fisheries value chain, the government said on Saturday.

In the last six months, total 499 training programmes were conducted, benefitting total 22,921 participants under the scheme.

By equipping stakeholders with modern practices and technologies, PMMSY continues to empower fish farmers, entrepreneurs, and allied communities, ensuring food security, nutritional well-being, and livelihood enhancement.

The initiative enhances productivity, reduces post-harvest losses and establishes marketing linkages by developing human resource and institutional capacity.

The initiative, led by Department of Fisheries, has not only empowered stakeholders but also laid a strong foundation for the future growth and resilience of the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

"This initiative will ultimately contribute towards unlocking the potential of the sector, generating employment and thus, contributing to the socio-economic growth of the nation," said Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

The structured road-map for training and capacity-building programmes for 2025-2027 includes training sessions, exposure visits and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

With rapid advancements in aquaculture technologies and increasing demand for quality fish products, structured training covers areas of Pre-production, Production and Post Production focusing on hatchery operations, advance grow out techniques, Integrated/composite fish culture, fish health management, feed formulation, seaweed cultivation, and value-added fish processing.

In this regard, the Department of Fisheries has earmarked financial component of Rs 2.93 crore, via National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad, being the Nodal Implementing agency for Training and Capacity Building Programmes under PMMSY and PM-MKSSY.

Special focus is given to modern systems like Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS), Biofloc, cage culture, and ornamental fish breeding, enabling fish farmers to diversify and expand operations, said the ministry.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Training 22,921 people in six months is impressive on paper. But the real test is on-ground implementation. I hope the training reaches the small-scale farmers in remote villages, not just the larger commercial ones. The allocated budget seems modest for the scale of our fisheries sector.
A
Aman W
Good step forward. The mention of seaweed cultivation and ornamental fish breeding is interesting. It shows the govt is thinking about diversification and high-value products, not just traditional fish farming. This can create new entrepreneurial opportunities for youth in coastal states.
P
Priyanka N
As someone from a fishing community in Kerala, I appreciate the focus on "environmentally responsible operations." Our traditional knowledge combined with these modern techniques like RAS can ensure sustainability. Hope the exposure visits include successful models from within India.
D
David E
Investing in skilling is always a smart long-term strategy. The structured roadmap for 2025-27 shows planning. The key will be consistent follow-up and support after the training. Will there be a mechanism for these trained farmers to access credit or new market linkages?
K
Karthik V
Value-added fish processing is the need of the hour. We export so much raw material. If our farmers can learn to process and package, they can capture more value. This directly links to the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" vision. Hope the training modules are practical and in local languages.

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