Context: Recently, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) has been digitally launched.

• Several other initiatives in the fisheries and animal husbandry sectors have also been launched on the occasion.

Key Points

• PMMSY is a flagship scheme for focused and sustainable development of the fisheries sector in the country as a part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

It aims to:

• Adopt ‘Cluster or Area-based Approaches’ and create fisheries clusters through backward and forward linkages.
• Focus especially on employment generation activities such as seaweed and ornamental fish cultivation.
• Address critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality, technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management, modernisation and strengthening of the value chain, traceability, establishing a robust fisheries management framework and fishers’ welfare.
• Consolidate the achievements of the blue revolution and bring new interventions such as fishing vessel insurance, support for new/up-gradation of fishing vessels/boats, integrated aqua parks, e-trading/marketing, etc.

Targets

• Enhance fish production by an additional 70 lakh tonne and increase fisheries export earnings to Rs.1,00,000 crore by 2024-25.
• Double the incomes of fishers and fish farmers.
• Reduce post-harvest losses from 20-25% to about 10%.
• Generate an additional 55 lakhs direct and indirect gainful employment opportunities in the fisheries sector and allied activities.

Budget and Time Period

• An estimated investment of Rs. 20,050 crore for a period of 5 years from financial year (FY) 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 in all States/Union Territories.
• This investment is the highest ever in the fisheries sector yet.
• Implementation: It will be implemented as an umbrella scheme with two separate components namely:
• Central Sector Scheme: The project cost will be borne by the Central government.
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme: All the sub-components/activities will be implemented by the States/UTs and the cost will be shared between Centre and State.

Other Inaugurations Related to Animal Husbandry

e-Gopala App

• It is a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for direct use of farmers.

It will provide solutions on the aspects of:

• Managing livestock including buying and selling of disease-free germplasm in all forms (semen, embryos, etc.).
• Availability of quality breeding services (Artificial Insemination, veterinary first aid, vaccination, treatment, etc.).
• Guiding farmers for animal nutrition and treatment of animals using appropriate ayurvedic medicine/ethnoveterinary medicine.
• Providing a mechanism to send alerts and inform farmers about various government schemes and campaigns in the area.

Semen Station

• The state of the art facility has been established under Rashtriya Gokul Mission in Purnea, Bihar with an investment of Rs. 84.27 crores.
• It is one of the largest semen stations in the government sector with a production capacity of 50 lakh semen doses per annum.
• It will give a new dimension to development and conservation of indigenous breeds of Bihar and meet the demand of semen doses of eastern and northeastern States.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) Laboratories

• Various IVF laboratories are being set up across the country through a 100% grant in aid.
• These labs are crucial for propagating elite animals of indigenous breeds and thereby enhancing milk production and productivity manifold.
• Use of Sex-sorted Semen in Artificial Insemination:
• Through this method, only female calves can be produced (with more than 90% accuracy) which will help double the growth rate of milk production in the country.

Demonstration of IVF Technology at Farmer's Doorstep:

• It will propagate the technology for multiplication of high yielding animals at a faster rate as through the use of technology, a female cattle can give birth to 20 calves in a year.