Fish production in NE states surges significantly: NFDB

Fish production in India’s North Eastern states has increased significantly from approximately 4.03 lakh tonnes in 2014–15 to about 6.41 lakh tonnes in 2023–24, achieving an annual growth rate of 10 percent, National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) member Rajnish Kumar said on Friday.
He said this growth underscores the effectiveness of targeted policies and interventions that position the North Eastern region as a key player in India’s Blue Economy vision.
Despite this growth, Kumar said the region continues to face a chronic shortage, requiring imports of around 43,000 to 90,000 tonnes annually, particularly as over 90–95 per cent of the population are fish consumers. “In Meghalaya, fish production currently stands at around 20,000 metric tonnes against a demand of 32,000 metric tonnes, resulting in a deficit of about 12,000 metric tonnes,” he said. To address these challenges, Kumar said an AquaEx Northeast 2026 will take place June 12–13 at Guwahati’s Maniram Dewan Trade Centre.
He said the event will host 50 exhibitors, along with scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and progressive farmers, technology providers, processors, financial institutions and policymakers from across the country, focusing on boosting the region’s fisheries through integrated production and better market linkage. Describing fisheries as a “sunrise sector” in the Northeast, Anup Sarmah, Governing Body Member, NFDB, highlighted the several welfare and development initiatives have been implemented across pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest stages, including investments in hygienic fish marketing and infrastructure.
“A significant funding of around Rs. 2,500 crore has been invested in recent years under the flagship Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PM-MSY) to strengthen the sector,” Sarmah said.
He emphasised that platforms like Aquaex provide valuable opportunities for farmers to interact with experts, learn from success stories, and adopt innovative solutions despite constraints such as limited land resources.