Government Aims to Boost Seafood Exports Amid Fishery Sector Overhaul

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh revealed plans to elevate seafood exports to Rs 1 lakh crore and strengthen the fishery sector over five years. This includes new initiatives and scheme launches, boosting production and addressing industry challenges. Fish production and infrastructure have seen significant growth under the current administration.

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh announced on Wednesday that the government is targeting an increase in annual seafood exports to Rs 1 lakh crore, up from around Rs 60,000 crore last fiscal, while also bolstering the fishery sector over the next five years.

Singh, who presides over the Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Ministry, disclosed these plans during an event marking the 4th Anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna (PMMSY). The minister unveiled the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojna and released standard operating procedures for production and processing clusters in the fisheries sector.

Highlighting the sector's neglected status since independence, Singh stated that the Modi administration has been proactive since 2014, initiating substantial funding and infrastructure improvements under schemes like PMSSY, aimed at propelling fish production and overall sector growth. The minister emphasized the government's long-term objective of significantly contributing to India's ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2029.

(With inputs from agencies.)