The flag off program for the distribution of Motorcycle with Ice Box under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for the year 2022-33 was held at the Directorate of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (F&AR) Kohima on September 13.

“The main objective of this program is to generate sustainable self-employment for fish farmers and entrepreneurs by assisting them in marketing produces from fish farms and to procure better fish transport facilities to prevent severe spoilage of fish and also to provide good quality fishes fit for human consumption and mishandling of fishes directly to the consumers,” said A Pangjung Jamir, Advisor, Fisheries & Aquatic Resources who graced the program as the Guest of Honour.

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Jamir also stated that the plan is set on a target to supply fishes even in the interior areas where four wheelers are not permissible as the North Eastern Region part of India especially Nagaland is mostly covered by hilly terrain. “Almost all the fishery ponds are constructed and maintained in the low land areas where we don’t have good connectivity roads hence, leaving two wheelers as the best option for collection and distribution,” said Jamir.

The idea to provide ‘Motorcycles with Ice Box’ was developed by the Department, according to Jamir, having considered the short shelf life of fish where the extremely perishable food commodity cannot be stored for long period unless frozen and stored in deep freezers or cold storage. Further, the initiative has been provided to the unemployed youths of the State to encourage sustainable fish business.

Despite hundreds of applicants, only few were selected to avail this scheme, therefore the Advisor requested all the beneficiaries of the Motorcycle with Ice Box to utilize the opportunity with dedication and follow proper directives given by the department as the vision is to encourage a successful and sustainable fish business for daily livelihood.

“To make fish available to consumers in hygienic condition at the right time, it requires an effective marketing system involving the fish transport facilities. The purpose of distributing motorcycles with icebox is to avoid losses due to spoilage and to transport the fishes from harvest area to kiosks/markets and also to distant locations where fish can be sold and fetch better prices for the producers as well as for the traders,” added Jamir.

The Advisor also emphasised on the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), a CSS Programme which was launched on September 10,2020. The Advisor commended the programme on how it has historically enhanced fish farming and production in the country, boosting the ecological health while targeting economically viable and socially inclusive growth that contributes meaningfully towards the economic prosperity for the fish farmers of the nation.

“The National Fish Production for the year 2022-23 stands at 174 lakh metric tons which is 81% higher when compared to 2013-14 production leaving India as the third largest fish producing country in the global market and the revenue through export of seafood has been brought up to a worth of Rs. 57,586.48 crores. Our nation under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji and under whom our Union Minister Parshottam Rupalaji, the economy of our country has been uplifted where a tremendous growth in fish production and infrastructure development can be witnessed and our state has also been benefitted at a larger scale compared to the past decades,” Jamir concluded.

A brief note about the scheme was presented by Lotimenba, Additional Director of Fisheries and AR where he mentioned that the Department has already distributed two motorcycles on trial basis from the fund availed during the year 2020-21. “Having experienced the success of its users, the Department proposed for 20 (Twenty) nos of motorcycles during the year 2022-23 and the Ministry was gracious enough to provide the Department with 20 nos under PMMSY, which we will be distributing today. The pattern of funding is 60:40 where Central and State together contributed 60% of the cost and the beneficiary contributed 40% cost,” announced Lotimenba.

He encouraged the beneficiaries to utilize the motorcycles only for the sole purpose of selling fishes as mentioned in the MoU and try to provide best services to the general public.

The program was chaired by (IAS) Sotsula while Medo Nakhro blessed the program with an invocation.