What happened

The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has reported that the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) is supporting the formation of Fish Farmers Producer Organizations (FFPOs) to improve the economic position of fishers and fish farmers and strengthen their bargaining power. The Department of Fisheries said it approved projects worth Rs. 544.86 crore during FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26 for the formation of 2,195 FFPOs.

Background and earlier position

PMMSY is the central scheme through which the Department of Fisheries provides financial assistance for fisheries development. In this design, FFPOs are meant to aggregate small fishers and fish farmers, improve market access, and create a stronger collective voice in procurement and sale. The current update is therefore part of a wider shift from fragmented primary producers to organised producer institutions in the fisheries sector.

What changed now

The Department of Fisheries has reported two parallel strands of support under PMMSY. First, 195 new FFPOs have been proposed under the approved projects. Second, 2,000 existing Primary Fisheries Cooperative Societies (PFCSs) are being formed as FFPOs. The update also identifies four central implementation agencies: National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).

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