Government Pushes for Saline Aquaculture Hubs in Northern India

Recently, the Union Secretary, Department of Fisheries (DoF), chaired a review meeting on Saline Water Shrimp Aquaculture.

• Joint Secretary Shri Sagar Mehra highlighted state-wise progress under PMMSY (Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana) and Blue Revolution schemes.

Implementation of PMMSY and Blue Revolution in Northern states

About Saline Aquaculture

• Saline aquaculture involves farming aquatic species in lands where high salinity prevents conventional agriculture.
• Suitable species include shrimp, milkfish, and pearl spot, offering alternative livelihoods in salt-affected areas.

Significance and Benefits of Saline Aquaculture

• Converts wastelands into productive wealth lands.
• Offers high-value returns compared to traditional crops.
• Supports employment generation and livelihood enhancement in rural areas.
• Boosts seafood exports, enhancing India’s global market presence.

Current Utilization and Potential of Saline Aquaculture

• Across the four states, 58,000 hectares of saline land have been identified, but only 2,608 hectares are currently utilized.
• Saline-affected lands unsuitable for traditional farming can be transformed into high-value aquaculture hubs.
• India is the second-largest producer of cultured shrimp, with over 65% of seafood export value coming from shrimp.

Challenges Faced by Farmers in Saline Water Aquaculture

• High setup costs and limited subsidy coverage are major barriers.
• Current area limit for aquaculture operations restricted to 2 hectares, hampering scalability.
• Salinity fluctuations, high land lease rates, and lack of quality seed supply persist.
• Absence of marketing infrastructure (markets, cold storages) leads to poor price realization.
• Rising input costs and low farm-gate prices reduce profitability.

Proposals to Strengthen the Sector

• Enhancing Farm Infrastructure and Inputs: It is proposed to increase the unit cost for setting up aquaculture farms to ₹25 lakh and expand the permissible farm size from 2 hectares to 5 hectares. Additionally, subsidies for critical inputs like polythene lining are suggested to be enhanced to reduce operational costs for farmers.
• Infrastructure and Marketing Improvements: The establishment of an Integrated Aqua Park at Sirsa is planned to boost the sector’s development. Efforts will also focus on improving marketing channels to ensure better price realization for aquaculture farmers.
• Strengthening Partnerships and Awareness: Collaboration between States, ICAR, and Central Agencies will be strengthened to utilize saline land effectively. Awareness campaigns will be launched to promote shrimp consumption, particularly in northern India.
• Research, Development, and Policy Framework: A gap analysis will be conducted, and clusters developed across 25 districts with support from Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) for technical outreach. 
  • A National Level Committee will be formed to update shrimp culture guidelines and prepare a sustainable roadmap for saline aquaculture
    

Modern Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Saline Aquaculture

• Adoption of climate-resilient farming techniques.
• Use of polythene lining to manage salinity levels.
• Integration of biofloc technology for improved aquaculture yields.
• Promotion of disease management practices through diagnostic labs and research.