PM to launch most expensive fishery scheme, e-Gopala app

New Delhi: Come tomorrow, PM Narendra Modi will digitally launch the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). On Thursday, the Prime Minister will also launch e-Gopala App, a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for direct use of farmers. Several other initiatives in the fisheries and animal husbandry sectors in Bihar will also be launched by him.

The Governor and Chief Minister of Bihar, along with Union Minister and MoS for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, will also digitally participate in the launch.

The PMMSY is a flagship scheme for focused and sustainable development of the fisheries sector in the country with an estimated investment of Rs. 20,050 crore, as a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat Package. This is the highest-ever investment in the fisheries sector. Of this, an investment of about Rs 12,340 crore is proposed for beneficiary-oriented activities in Marine, Inland fisheries and Aquaculture and about Rs 7710 crore investment for Fisheries Infrastructure.

"The PMMSY aims at enhancing fish production by an additional 70 lakh tonne by 2024-25, increasing fisheries export earnings to Rs.1,00,000 crore by 2024-25, doubling of incomes of fishers and fish farmers, reducing post-harvest losses from 20-25% to about 10% and generation of additional 55 lakhs direct and indirect gainful employment opportunities in the fisheries sector and allied activities," said the government in a release on Wednesday.

As of now, the Department of Fisheries has approved Rs 1723 crore worth of proposals for 21 States and UTs in phase-I under the PMMSY. Priority has been accorded for income-generating activities under the scheme.

In Bihar, the scheme envisages an investment of Rs.1390 crore with Central Share of Rs. 535 crore and the additional fish production target pegged at 3 lakh tonnes. During the current financial year, the centre has sanctioned the proposal of Bihar Government at a total project cost of Rs.107.00 crore.

Meanwhile, close Prime Minister Modi will also announce the establishment of Fish Brood Bank at Sitamarhi, and the Aquatic Disease Referral Laboratory at Kishanganj, for which assistance has been provided under PMMSY. Even as the state goes into poll mode in the run-up to the assembly elections, the PM will also inaugurate one-unit fish feed mill at Madhepura and two units of 'Fish on Wheels' assisted at Patna under Blue Revolution. The PM will interact with the beneficiaries on the occasion.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Comprehensive Fish Production Technology Centre at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar. The Centre, with facilities for Seed production technology and demonstration unit technology for fish, referral laboratory and diagnostic testing, will facilitate in boosting fish production and assist in capacity building of fish farmers.

That's not all. He will also launch the e-Gopala App which is a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for direct use of farmers.

"At present no digital platform is available in the country for farmers managing livestock including buying and selling of disease-free germplasm in all forms," said the statement. It also claimed that there is no mechanism to send alerts on the due date for vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis, calving and inform farmers about various government schemes and campaigns in the area. The e-Gopala App will provide solutions to farmers on all these aspects.

In an exhaustive list of inaugurations, Semen Station with state of the art facilities, which has been established under Rashtriya Gokul Mission in Purnea, Bihar with an investment of Rs 84.27 crore on 75 acres of land made available by the State Government of Bihar. The PM will also inaugurate an IVF lab established at the Animal Sciences University, Patna under Rashtriya Gokul Mission.

A total of 30 ETT and IVF laboratories are being set up across the country through 100% grant in aid. These labs are crucial for propagating elite animals of indigenous breeds and thereby enhancing milk production and productivity manifold, all the more when the Government's thrust has been on Swadeshi.

He will also launch a demonstration of IVF technology at farmer's doorstep. This will propagate the technology for multiplication of high yielding animals at a faster rate as through the use of technology they can give birth to 20 calves in a year.