India produced 10.8 million tonnes of fish worth Rs1,00,000 cr in 2015-16: minister

Overall fish production in the country stood  at 10.8 million tonnes, with an estimated value of Rs1,00,000 crore during the year 2015-16, minister of agriculture and farmers welfare Radha Mohan Singh informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

With annual fish production of 4.21 million tonnes from aquaculture, India is the second-largest producer of fish from inland sources. It contributes about 6.3 per cent in global aquaculture.

Fish exports from the country has grown at an average annual rate of 14.8 per cent against the global average of growth of export of fish and fisheries production of 7.5 per cent, making India the top exporter of fisheries products.

The minister sad the government's Blue Revolution scheme aims at increasing fish production and productivity in the country at an annual rate of 8 per cent to reach 15 million tonnes by 2020.

He said the rapid increase in fisheries and aquaculture production has helped increase the income of fish farmers and will benefit fish farmers and farmers hugely in the near future.

Singh was speaking on the occasion of World Fisheries Day at a ceremony organised by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries under the ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

Singh also said that development of livestock is the best strategy for doubling the farmers' income. He said the budget for 2016-17 has  allocated Rs1,700 crore for this department, which is 21 per cent higher than the last year budget. He said the department has already utilised more than 72 per cent of the current year's budget, which has been released for development among states.

The union minister said fish farming will have three benefits - increase in the farmers income, progress in the country's export and GDP and ensuring nutritional and food security in the country.

He said the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fishery has been formulating various new schemes over the past six months. The department has launched 'Rashtriya Gokul Mission' for the breed improvement of indigenous cows while the `National Livestock Mission' continues to engage itself in the development of better breeds of cattle, goats and sheep.

Meanwhile, the value of milk produced in the country for the year 2014-15 stood at Rs492,000 crore, which was more than 37 per cent from paddy and wheat combined.

The minister said that in fish production, India is at the second position after China. Fisheries is also one of the largest employer in the country with around 15 million people engaged in the sector. India has also the top place in the world in the area of shrimp fish and it is the largest exporter of shrimp fish.

Singh said around 26.869 hectares area has been developed for the aquaculture during the past two years, which has benefited 63,372 fishermen.