Aqua Bazaar online marketplace app for fish farmers launched by Minister of Fisheries

Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Purushottam Rupala on Thursday launched Aqua Bazaar, an online marketplace application to help fish farmers and stakeholders source inputs. According to the ministry, the aqua market has been developed by the Bhubaneswar-based ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMSSY) with funding support from NFDB.

“It is a market that connects various stakeholders involved in the aquaculture sector,” the ministry said. The app will help fish farmers and stakeholders to list table size fish for sale along with fish seeds, feed, medicines, and services required for fish culture.

Addressing the meeting, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Sanjeev Kumar Balyan said that the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab have immense potential for shrimp farming. If aquaculture is developed in these states, they can compete with Andhra Pradesh in shrimp production. He said that extension services should be provided to the farmers of these states.

Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying L Murugan said the fisheries department needs to focus on infrastructure development projects like fishing port, fish landing centre, ice plant and cold storage.

NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand said that the fisheries sector has been showing a record regular growth of about 8 per cent during the last decade. ‘One District One Product’ will have to be promoted and pioneering technologies will be implemented in the fisheries sector.

Purushottam Rupala also released a book on “Super Success Stories from Indian Fisheries” at the ninth governing body meeting of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) here, an official statement said.