Odisha, which is the 4th largest State in aquaculture production in the country, has exported sea foods worth Rs 4,560 crore during last Financial Year. This was informed by Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain while speaking at a seminar on “Diversified Aquaculture with Special Focus to GIFT” here on Monday.
The Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA) in association with Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department organised the seminar. Inaugurating the seminar as chief guest, Swain congratulated MPEDA for rendering essential service to the aquaculture farmers and exporters of India which has made all time high record exports figures i.e. 7.7 billion US $ during 2021-22 in spite of Covid-19 pandemic.
Swain expressed his pleasure on the overall fisheries development of Odisha and said the total production was 9.91 lakh metric tons during last FY. Swain said Odisha deserved to be No.1 State in India in aquaculture for which the present Government was highly committed and he assured that all the help required for the sector would be extended.
“The Chief Minister has introduced the 5T system in Odisha for good governance which is unique in our country. It is time to learn from diversified aquaculture from other countries such as Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, China and even our neighbour Bangladesh where they grow more than 50 varieties of fish,” said the Minister. The Odisha Government has signed a MoU with MPEDA-RGCA for developing and renewing Odisha Shrimp Seed Production and Research Centre (OSSPARC) hatchery in Gopalpur for seed production centre which is a dream project of the Chief Minister, informed Swain.
Principal Secretary, Fisheries and ARD R Raghu Prasad said the Department of Fisheries has introduced Go-SUGAM portal to make an ease of “application process” for the beneficiaries under different schemes/components.
Odisha has 4.18 lakh hectares of brackish water resources and 480 km of coastline for fisheries development of the State. The brackish water and coastal lines are very important for Odisha for augmenting fish production by introduction of diversified species, he told. Director of Fisheries, Smruti Ranjan Pradhan said through introduction of circular cage culture in the Hirakud reservoir, Odisha has immense potential to produce additional 1.25 lakh MT of fish from major reservoirs in collaboration with the PFCS members and private entrepreneurs.