Fisheries Minister Seediri Appala Raju has said the role of private players is important in the marine sector and asked the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Fisheries Department to work with tandem in developing infrastructure for the benefit of farmers and thereby supplying nutritious food to consumers.
Participating in a virtual meeting organised by the CII themed ‘Showcasing A.P. as a hub for Fisheries and Aquaculture Investment’ on Friday, the Minister said that the State government has been contributing significantly to the fish basket of the country through effective strategies in both marine and freshwater aquaculture.
“Andhra Pradesh has contributed about 35% of the marine exports of the country,” Mr. Appala Raju said, appreciating the farmers for their outstanding performance during the pandemic.
The role of the private sector was important right from pre- and post-harvest methods such as hatcheries, seed rearing farms, brood stock multiplication centres, maintaining cold chain and creation of other adequate infrastructure to minimise losses to the aqua farmers, the Minister said.
CII National Committee on Fisheries co-chairman Arabind Das said that they were committed to working with the State government and other stakeholders to ensure that A.P. retained its status as an investment destination and an export leader in the marine sector.
Additional Director (Department of Fisheries) S. Anjeli said that 40,000 hectares of potential area for inland fishing has been identified in the State. Construction of new fishing harbours at Nellore and Uppada and development of Machilipatnam and Nizampatnam and fish landing centres is being done in a phased manner, she said.
To improve domestic consumption, 14,000 retail outlets and 70 aqua hubs are being planned in the State. As many as 734 fisheries assistants have been appointed to address the problems of aqua farmers in villages through Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs), Ms. Anjeli explained.
CII CP vice-chairman M. Lakshmi Prasad, Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board Deputy CEO Lt. B.M. Ravindranath Reddy, Society for Indian Fisheries and Aquaculture president V. Ramachandra Raju, The Waterbase Limited CEO Ramakanth V Akula and scientists from various organisations participated.
