Poultry farmers and fishermen expectations from the Union Budget 2022

By Shan Kadavil
NEW DELHI: To support the momentum of the previous year which saw greater investments and tech adoption, the

Union Budget

2022 must focus on the growth of the flourishing agriculture ecosystem.

The sector has massive scope in terms of fiscal needs for expanded digitization and infrastructure enhancement to boost innovation.

While the agri-tech and aquaculture industries seek incentives for R&D and the introduction of formal finance and insurance in the Union Budget 2022, the former is also expecting tax benefits to uplift the sector.

The Kisan Credit Card Scheme has been introduced with the purpose of protecting farmers from moneylenders and offering loans for cultivation.

According to sources, the Government is planning to make a huge declaration for farmers in the Union Budget 2022.

Farmers often shy away from insurance due to high premiums. This issue can be resolved by subsidizing the premiums. This can benefit the farmers by cutting their risks.

Further, expanding the fisheries KCC limit from the current reach will assist farmers in meeting their cultivating costs completely.

Since, India is one of the largest producers of fish in the world and also holds one of the topmost positions in aquaculture production, the Government needs to prioritize the fishermen’s welfare apart from scaling the fish production through cutting-edge technology.

In these modern times when there is a lot of emphasis on skill development, why should fishermen and farmers be kept away from capacity building, and skill upgradation?

Thus, it is time to adopt technology and educate the unorganized sectors to embrace robust technologies, including the fish culture tech - environmental biofloc, etc, to increase farmer incomes through sustainable agri- and aquaculture. This will enable them to access and comprehend updated technology and enhance unit productivity.

The government’s endeavour should be to drive new ideas and undertake overall advancement through sustainable administration and protection of marine fishery assets, expanding the fish production, and value addition via fish handling and showcasing in seaside regions, creating new business and encouraging aquaculture.

While the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana’s (PMMSY) implementation has been fruitful, it requires a Blue Revolution 2.0 with a greater emphasis on digital advancements for optimal pre- and post-production processes.

After all, it is high time now to revolutionize farming techniques that can enhance production and ensure quality produce.

It is time for judicious use of the sea by giving a push to marine cage farming and deep-sea fishing in coastal and off-shore waters, respectively.

Furthermore, the fishery infrastructure including the cold chain, harbours, and hygienic fish landing areas need intervention for the overall growth and development of the sector.

The cold chain plays a crucial role in the meat and seafood industry, as the freshness of products highly depend on it. Cracking the tech code for this cold chain will benefit the farmers and fishermen.

The government’s endeavour should be to drive new ideas and undertake overall advancement through sustainable administration and protection of marine fishery assets, expanding the fish production, and value addition via fish handling and showcasing in seaside regions, creating new business and encouraging aquaculture.


(Shan Kadavil is the Co-founder at Freshtohome. Views expressed are personal.)