Rupala launches 3 national flagship programmes at ICAR-CIBA campus in Chennai
2 min read . Updated: 27 Feb 2023, 08:59 PM IST
PremiumConsidering the importance, the government of India is implementing the NSPAAD since 2013 with a major emphasis on strengthening farmer-based disease surveillance system, so that disease cases are reported at once, investigated and scientific support is provided to the farmers, the ministry said
NEW DELHI : Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshotam Rupala inaugurated and launched three national flagship programmes at ICAR-CIBA campus, Raja Annamalaipuram, Chennai on Monday.
“The three programmes are Genetic Improvement Programme of Indian White Shrimp (Penaeus indicus), National Surveillance Programme on Fish Diseases, launching of aquaculture insurance product and laying a foundation stone for the Genetic Improvement Facility," the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said.
India is the third largest fish producing country with a fish production of 14.73 million metric tonnes and one of the largest exporters of farmed shrimps around 7 lakh tonnes. However, the country loses about 7200 crores annually due to diseases. Therefore, early detection and managing the spread of diseases is considered crucial for controlling the diseases.
“Considering the importance, the Government of India is implementing the National Surveillance Programme for Aquatic Animal Diseases (NSPAAD) since 2013 with a major emphasis on strengthening farmer-based disease surveillance system, so that disease cases are reported at once, investigated and scientific support is provided to the farmers," the ministry added.
To continue the efforts with intensity, the Department of Fisheries sanctioned the NSPAAD: Phase-II under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana programme. “The phase-II will be implemented at pan-India, and all the State Fisheries Departments along with Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) are expected to play an important role in this nationally important surveillance programme," the ministry said.
The farmed shrimp alone contributes about 70% of India’s seafood exports worth Rs. 42000 crores. However, the shrimp farming sector mostly depends on one exotic Specific Pathogen Free stock of Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) species. It is highly risky to depend on one species for the production of 10 lakh tonnes with huge investments on farming infrastructure and the livelihoods of two lakh farm families directly and around ten lakh families indirectly associated in the ancillary sectors.
“To break this single species dependence and to promote indigenous species vis-à-vis exotic shrimp species ICAR-CIBA has taken up the genetic improvement of programme of Indian white shrimp, P. indicus as a national priority under the Make in India flagship program. CIBA has successfully optimized breeding protocol and demonstrated culture potential across different geographic location in coastal states using indigenous feed, indicus plus (35% Protein)," the ministry added.
Recognizing the importance of this initiative, the Department of Fisheries sanctioned the ‘Genetic improvement program of Penaeus indicus (Indian white shrimp)-Phase-I‘ with an outlay of Rs.25 crores under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) under the Central sector scheme to establish a National Genetic Improvement Facility for shrimp breeding.