Punjab boosts fish and shrimp farming with subsidies and innovation

Punjab has made significant strides in fish farming, producing 1,81,188 tons of fish annually from natural waters, private, and panchayati ponds. Currently, 43,973 acres in the state are dedicated to fish farming, according to Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries.

At a state-level seminar organized by the Fisheries Department in SAS Nagar (Mohali), farmers were introduced to new technologies, best practices, and innovative fish farming methods. Over 300 farmers and officials participated in the event.

To further promote the sector, approximately 14 crore quality fish seed is produced annually at 16 government-run fish seed farms and distributed to farmers at subsidized rates.

Punjab is also making progress in shrimp farming, particularly in the five southwestern districts—Sri Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda, Mansa, Faridkot, and Fazilka—where land previously unsuitable for agriculture due to water-logging and salinity is now being used for shrimp cultivation. “Shrimp farming in these districts is providing farmers with a net profit of Rs 2.50 to Rs 4.00 lakh per acre,” said Gurmeet Singh Khudian.

Two progressive fish farmers, Amiteshwar Singh Gill from Fatehgarh Sahib and Parminderjit Singh from Kapurthala, were honored for their contributions to the sector.

Director Fisheries Jasvir Singh highlighted that the department has disbursed over Rs 30 crore in subsidies to 618 families over the past four years under a centrally sponsored scheme. He also noted that under the leadership of Gurmeet Singh Khudian and the guidance of Principal Secretary Rahul Bhandari, subsidies are being provided for various fisheries-related projects, including fish and shrimp farming expansion, transportation vehicles, RAS and bio-floc units, fish kiosks, and mini fish feed mills.

Common Service Centre, Punjab head Bhupinder Singh informed farmers about a government database and the benefits of registering on the National Fisheries Digital Platform. Deputy Director Gurpreet Singh and Assistant Director Fisheries Satinder Kaur shared updates on various projects under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana and expressed gratitude to the farmers for their participation in the event.