DEVELOPMENT OF DOMESTIC FISH MARKETING IN INDIA: CHALLANGES AND PROSPECTS

D. Srinivas * and Vallathan. M** 1.0 Introduction: Fish and fisheries have been playing an important role in addressing nutritional and livelihood security of the poor in developing countries in general and in India particular. Besides providing livelihood security to over 14 million people in India , the sector has been one of the major foreign exchange earners, with revenue reaching nearly Rs. 8000 Crores in 2008-09 accounting for about 14% of the agricultural export. The contribution of Fisheries sector is estimated at 1.07% to the GDP and about 5.5 % to the agricultural GDP. In many developing countries like India, fish is still the cheapest available animal protein to the poor. Fish is a rich source of protein, essentially fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. The fatty acids in fish, particularly Omega 3 fatty acids are highly beneficial for human health. The growing gap between supply and demand will impact the health and nutrition of low income families in the developing countries, unless efforts are made to increase the availability of the fish in hygienic form at reasonable prices. However, overexploitation of the resources, post harvest losses, weak public support, unorganized marketing network, lack of modern storing and packaging technologies, lack of diversification in value addition of fishery products and lack of investment are the major threatening factors of fish supplies and fishers livelihoods. In addition to contributing to the nutritional security, this sector has been providing livelihood to nearly 2 million people in India who are particularly involved in fish processing, marketing and trade, more precisely domestic fish marketing in India. With post- harvest losses in fish as high as 15%, it is necessary to provide post harvest preservation, necessary infrastructure and transport facilities. If this sector is neglected, both nutritional security and livelihoods of the poor may be affected. It is in this context, the following issues needs to be addressed on priority basis.

* D. Srinivas is Fisheries Development Officer, Dept of Fisheries, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, srinivasnfdb@gmail.com University, Pudicherry, vallathan06@yahoo.co.in ** M. Vallathan is with Pondicherry

2.0 Challenges for Development of Domestic Fish marketing: 2.1 Popularizing fish and fishery products as the rich and cheap animal protein to the poorer communities: Fish and fish products need to be popularized on large scale owing to its good nutritive value. In many underdeveloped countries fish is still a rich and cheap animal protein for poorer communities. In India, Fish as a protein pack needs to be popularized on a large scale through print and electronic media. Consumption of fish has to be popularized as an ideal meat in these days of modern work life style of the people. National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) takes the lead in this area and is popularizing the fish as a nutrient commodity by organizing fish festivals and providing financial assistance to the state governments to organize such events and to undertake publicity and awareness campaign. However, these efforts are to be taken forward on a massive scale to reach the nook and corner of the country. Establishment of a committee on the lines of National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) may yield better development of marketing network and consumer awareness. NFDB provides 100% financial assistance to the government agencies to take up such publicity and awareness campaigns. 2.2 Sustainable development of traditional fish markets: Fish Markets in India is often cited as example for Disorderliness. This is really an unfortunate precedent and needs to be changed through infrastructural interventions. Traditional fish markets are generally established in the common property resources. There is an urgent need to develop these markets by providing infrastructure for fish processing and hygienic marketing. Traditional fish markets are not only the places for developing marketing network and but also for improving socio- economic relations among the fisher folk. This network if properly established and trained with modern innovative technologies, this can revolutionize the fish marketing in India. The main focus should be on transition from traditional, unhygienic and temporary markets to Modernized, hygienic and permanent markets. NFDB is making its earnest efforts by providing financial assistance to the state governments and quasi governmental agencies for modernizing and construction of fish markets. 2.3 Reduction of post harvest losses: About 25 39 % of the fish produced in the country is lost through Post harvest losses at different stages. If these post harvest losses are checked from the catch point to consumption point to retain the freshness, it will fetch a

higher price. For this, on vessel preservation facilities for marine fisheries, improvement of infrastructure at Fishing landing centers, development of small scale cod chains for inland Fisheries, training on hygienic handling of fish for the fishers, establishment of fish dressing centers and value addition for the low value fish are the areas of priority. NFDB is extending subsidy and soft loan assistance to entrepreneurs for cold chain development and value addition of fish. 2.4 Price monitoring system: Being a highly perishable commodity fish is traded without proper marketing mechanism leading to severe loss to the fishers and producers. Borrowing the models from the European countries. Electronic auctioning procedures need to be introduced under the aegis of an independent marketing agency, which could be done on the lines of Agriculture Costs and Price Commission (ACPC) or similar to NECC. Further, prices of major commercially important variety of fishes needs to be made available in websites. 2.5 Public -Private Partnerships (PPP): Fisheries and aquaculture was developed successfully by prospective entrepreneurs from the times immemorial. Governmental agencies only focused more in regulation, welfare and monitoring of this sector, with limited focus on management and development. However, in these days of liberalization and globalization, economically viable PPP models have to be developed in this sector with emphasis on domestic fish markets with hygienic retail outlets and quality assurance measures. 2.6 Development of Fish Retail outlets: Most of the existing fish retail outlets in many parts of the country are unorganized, seasonal or part-time and unhygienic. This is due to mismatch of supply and demand, region specific preference of fish species for consumption, lack of institutional finance support. Unlike other livestock trade, fish marketing pass through several intermediaries in the marketing channel, leading to lesser share of the consumers rupees to the producers. Retailing ids the order of day in metros and major towns. Hence establishment of hygienic retail outlets with proper storage facilities would help the retailers to store wide varieties of fish for continuous supply as per the consumers preference. For this purpose state of art retail outlets with proper hygienic storage facilities and modern infrastructure is need of the hour. NFDB with a vision to develop hygienic retail outlets in all major cities and towns. It supports such chain of hygienic retail fish outlets, with 25% subsidy for establishment of retail fish outlets for entrepreneurs and 40% subsidy to fisher women.

2.7 Introduction of modern storage, processing and packaging technologies: To reduce, post harvest losses, cold chain infrastructure has to be established at various levels of transport and trading. Presenting fishery products in an attractive packing is not popular to attract the consumers, when compared to the various other food products. In this regard, NFDB has a scheme on cold chain development and processing of value added products wherein 40% soft loan or equity participation is available 2.8 Species diversification and diversified supply: The consumer preferences in the fisheries sector is region specific and to cater the needs, species diversification became inevitable. In South East Asian countries variety of fish species were cultured, where as less emphasis has been given to diversification in the country. Bringing such developed technologies to the country and disseminating to the farmers would lead to additional production and long term sustenance of the sector. NFDB is making efforts to introduce new fish species for culture in freshwater and coastal aquaculture. 2.9 Awareness HRD and training: Trained manpower is always an added advantage in the marketing. The hawkers who are selling the fish, the retailers in the unorganized sector and fish farmers are to be sensitized on recent technologies to improve production, processing and hygienic handling of fish including packaging technologies. Updating the skills of the stakeholders involved in fisheries sector with latest technologies shall be on continuous basis for its assured benefits. 3.0 The Outlook: Excellent opportunities exist for the development of Domestic fish marketing in the years to come with improved hygiene and quality when planned and implemented well. The protocols of domestic markets maintenance needs to be standardized. There can be uniform fish retail outlet models for the every State / Union territory in the country for faster development of retail outlet network. Small scale customized cold chains needs to be developed on PPP mode. This development can also contribute to nutritional and livelihood security. The area where much progress has not been made in India due to high investment costs, lack of systematic efforts and technologies needed, with the financial assistance from NFDB schemes not only the

Government Organization but also private entrepreneurs can also contribute to these developments. REFERENCES: 1. Ayyappan, S and J.K. Jena, Emerging trends in Indian Fisheries, Souvenir, M.S. Swaminathan Award 2009 2. Modadugu V Gupta, Challenges to be addressed for aquaculture to meet the growing global demand, Brain storming Meet on Aquaculture 2025, CIFA, Bhubaneswar, June2008. 3. National Fisheries Development Board, Dept. of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India, Guidelines.