Odisha's fish production may rise by 1.24 tonne through cage culture: CM

Odisha, which has vast freshwater resources extending around 6.84 lakh hectares, produced around 8.16 lakh tonnes of fish during 2019-20, officials said. Patnaik said that the online applications will provide a number of very useful services to fishers and farmers including registration of fishing boats and licenses, registration of brackish water farms and avail subsidy for setting up of new livestock and fishery units.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said that fish production in the state can be increased by over 1.24 lakh tonne annually through cage culture, which is being promoted in a big way. The cage fish culture will also play a significant role in promoting entrepreneurship and creating job opportunities in the state, Patnaik said while launching 15 online services of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department.

Cage aquaculture involves the growing of fishes in existing water resources while being enclosed in a net cage which allows free flow of water. "We have also come into agreements with many entrepreneurs for taking up cage culture in Hirakud reservoir," the chief minister said.

Stating that cage culture can increase the annual fish production of the state by over 1.24 lakh tons, achieving self-sufficiency in meeting the demand, he said that the royalty generated from lease of the reservoirs will immensely benefit the Primary Fishery Cooperative Societies also. The state government provides financial assistance up to Rs 50 lakh for various commercial agri-enterprises, including cage culture fisheries.

"I call upon the farmers and youth of the state to come forward and contribute to the state's economic growth as agri-entrepreneurs," Patnaik said. Odisha, which has vast freshwater resources extending around 6.84 lakh hectares, produced around 8.16 lakh tonnes of fish during 2019-20, officials said.

Patnaik said that the online applications will provide a number of very useful services to fishers and farmers including registration of fishing boats and licenses, registration of brackish water farms and avail subsidy for setting up of new livestock and fishery units. The state government has unveiled a new policy during March 2020 to promote cage culture fishery in large and medium reservoirs, he said.

The administration has identified the allied sectors as the growth propellers for the state's farmers, women SHGs and entrepreneurs and thus doubled the allocation to the allied sectors during 2020-21, Patnaik said. "It is a matter of happiness that the growth in the fisheries and livestock sectors during 2019-20 was over 19 per cent, which is much higher than other primary sectors," the chief minister said.

The state government has also launched a special COVID-19 package to the tune of Rs 173 crore to boost the allied sectors which will directly benefit over 44,000 farmers, he said. Patnaik said the state government is committed to provide door step services to farmers so that they can access the benefit of our schemes, timely and efficiently.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)