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Report of the Technical Sub-committee on Processing and Marketing
Background:
The Project Steering Committee (PSC) for “Supporting Developments and Strategies for Entrepreneurs Promotion and Sustainable Livelihoods in the Fisheries Sector in Orissa”, in its meeting on 8th of August 2004 constituted several sub-committees to look into the details of various sub-sectors and suggest strategies for incorporation in the Comprehensive Fisheries Policy. Processing and Marketing was one of such sub-sector for which a Technical Sub-Committee was constituted with the followings.
1) Chief General Manager, NABRD, Orissa : Chairman
2) Deputy Director, MPEDA, Orissa : Member Secretary
3) Managing Director, APICOL : Member
4) Deputy Director of Fisheries (BW), Orissa : Member
5) Representative of Sea Food Exporters Association: Member
6) Representative of Shrimp Farmers Association : Member
7) Representative of Trailer Owners Association : Member
Introduction:
The Technical Sub-Committee on Processing & Marketing met on two occasions including 11th of August 2005. In absence of CGM, NABARD, MD, APICOL chaired this Sub-Committee. All the members deliberated in details on the present status, constraints as well as future need with respect to processing & marketing of fish for sustainable growth in Fisheries Sector. It was well realized that the issues pertaining to Processing & Marketing of freshwater fish, brackish water fish and shrimpfish are different. Hence, they are to be dealt differently.
All the members of the Sub-Committee recognized the fact that the present level of production and productivity of freshwater fish is so low that presently no surplus is available for processing. Moreover, forward & backward linkages with respect to freshwater fish are non-existent in the state. In case of brackish water fish and marine fish, at least organized sector processing and marketing are existent. The Sub-Committee attempted to flag in some important issues and identified the constraints associated with each of these issues, which were ultimately helpful to develop strategies to address the issues. The details of such exercise, after long deliberations, has been consolidated and presented below:
Issues, constraints and suggested strategies
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Issues
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Constraints
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Suggested Strategies
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Retention of quality up to the level of processing
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Improvements of roads
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Establishment of big capacity ice plant
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Establishment of chilled rooms & stand alone cold storages at strategic locations
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Establishment of eradiation facility as common facility
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Improvement in the power distribution system for uninterrupted power supply
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Competitiveness
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Subsidy on diesel, electric power tariff (at par with agriculture), promotion of feed plants in the state, waste utilization through adoption of new technologies etc.
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Market related
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Distress sale/low price realization
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Poor wholesale market infrastructure
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Unhygienic retail marketing
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Lack of exposure
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Support through market intervention schemes
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Establishment of wholesale market infrastructure at strategic locations
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Cold outlets, exclusively fish market development
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Participation in domestic as well as international trade fairs
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General
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Absence of reliable information/ statistics on farm, farmers, production and productivity
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More and more members of SHGs should be trained on production of quality dry fish for domestic as well as export market with effective marketing linkages. In this regard, there is a need for developing database on production and marketing of dry fish in the stat, assistance in market intervention, infrastructure development in the dry fish markets.
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Strengthening R&D on high products
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Institutional mechanism to collect, maintain and update of all information.
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Research institutes in the state to be encouraged for taking up R&D on developing/ upgrading technology for production of value added products using locally available raw materials. Utilization of by-products and use of biotechnology.
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General Recommendation:
Specific recommendations suggested to overcome the prevailing constraints with respect to important issues have been elaborated earlier. Besides, the Sub-Committee also came-out with some general recommendations, which are given below:
i) Some model farms may be promoted under private sector, which will be of use for the purpose of demonstration and training.
ii) As the market of organic fish is growing, promotion of organic fish production may be taken up.
iii) Chilika Development Authority may explore the possibility of marketing of Chilika fish with organic branding.
iv) Most of the facilities/assets to be created as suggested above should be either under private sector or in PPP mode.
v) An effective market linkage be established for marketing of dry fish produced by SHGs
vi) The envisaged Comprehensive Fishery Policy while considering these strategies should indicate a timeframe both for short-term and long-term interventions.
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