Lok Sabha Question No. 3327 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-21
Subject: Fishery Cooperatives
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya

## MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3327 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 ST  MARCH, 2023

## Fishery Cooperatives

## 3327.  SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJI KUNDARIYA:

Will  the Minister  of  FISHERIES,  ANIMAL  HUSBANDRY  AND  DAIRYING मत्स्यपालन , पशुपालन और डेयरीमंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has proposed to create fishery cooperatives in all panchayats of the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  details  of  the  fishery  cooperatives  operating  along  with  issues  and  challenges  reported  by  these cooperatives in the country;
- (d) the potential of cooperative sector in developing the fishery business in India and abroad; and
- (e) the details of measures taken to strengthen the existing fishery cooperatives?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING:

## (SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a) & (b) The Government of India has approved a plan to establish two lakh new multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) / dairy / fishery primary cooperative societies for covering all the remaining Panchayats/ villages in the country, with the support of State Governments, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) through convergence of various existing schemes of Government of India and by leveraging the 'whole-of-Government' approach in the next five years.
- (c) As per reports given by States/UTs, there are 18,981 fishery cooperatives operating throughout the country.

The major challenges faced by the fisheries cooperatives as reported are non-availability of good post harvest infrastructure such as cold storage, processing & packaging, lack of market access, competition from private sector, lack of access to institutional finance, poor financial health, lack of knowledge on new fishing and post-harvest technologies, lack of computerization etc.

- (d) The cooperative sector has huge potential in developing the fishery business in India and abroad as it helps in focusing on the community management, generating employment, increase bargain power and income of the fish farmers, thus, improving socio-economic status of fish farmers.
- (e) The  Government  of  India  has  approved  setting  up  of  three  national  level  Multi-State  Cooperative Societies  (MSCS) one each for Organic, Seeds and Exports registered under MSCS Act, 2002 i.e. National  Co-operative  Export  Society,  National  Co-operative  Society  for  Organic  Products  and National Level Multi-State Seed Co-operative Society. These cooperative societies are expected to support the fisheries in the areas of supply of seed and quality fish marketing with focus on integrated project for development of Inland fisheries, fisher women cooperatives, branding & trade promotion and capacity building. In addition, Integration of Cooperatives data with Gati Shakti Portal to utilise the Infrastructure being developed by the Centre and State.

The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying under 'Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)' is financially supporting fisheries cooperatives,  fisheries  federations  and  Fish  Farmer  Producer  Organizations  (FFPOs)  as  one  of  the intended beneficiaries under the scheme.