Union Minister Ranjan inaugurates country’s first RAS trout farm

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Monday inaugurated what is being described as the country’s “first integrated Recirculatory Aquaculture System trout farm” here.
Speaking on the occasion, Singh described the facility, established by Smart Green Aquaculture Ltd, as a path-breaking milestone for the fisheries sector, saying it “goes beyond imagination” and demonstrates the transformative power of technology in aquaculture.
The union minister for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying said the successful cultivation of trout, a cold-water species, in Hyderabad proves that any fish species can be produced anywhere in India with the adoption of appropriate technology, a press release said.
Singh emphasised that temperature-controlled aquaculture systems can overcome traditional geographical and climatic limitations, opening new possibilities for fisheries development across the country.
Affirming the union government’s commitment to innovation in fisheries, he said the ministry has consistently supported such initiatives and will continue to assist with various schemes and funding mechanisms.
He assured full support for the promotion of RAS and other advanced aquaculture technologies, adding that entrepreneurs adopting these systems play a crucial role in strengthening both the fisheries and agriculture sectors.
Built at an initial cost of around USD six million, the facility has a total production capacity of 1,200 metric tonnes and is fully based on sustainable RAS technology, enabling year-round trout production in a controlled, biosecure indoor environment, the release added.
The technologically advanced facility features dedicated hatchery units, an indoor grow-out system operated under RAS, on-site processing and cold-chain facilities, along with a proprietary online store delivering fresh and value-added trout products directly to consumers, it added.
The company also announced plans to establish a flexi-scale premium microalgae biorefinery on the farm campus, which will also serve as a skill development centre for RAS, it further said.
A microalgae biorefinery is a facility where tiny water plants, called microalgae, are grown and converted into useful products.
Trout farming is largely concentrated in the Himalayan and hill states such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, where cold, well-oxygenated water from snow-fed streams and rivers supports production.