In the heart of Ramgarh district in Jharkhand, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) is turning lives around as it marks five years since its launch on September 10, 2020. This game-changing fisheries scheme has boosted fish farming across India, especially in rural spots like this, by empowering locals and sparking economic growth.
Take Sajikant Matwa, a Ramgarh resident whose story shows the real magic of PMMSY. He used to toil as a daily-wage miner, scraping by. But with a low-interest loan from the scheme, he jumped into fish farming and built a thriving business. Now, it’s his ticket to a better life.
“Before this, I struggled to pay bills. Today, I earn steady money and even give jobs to folks in my village,” Sajikant shares with a smile.
Around 60 to 65 villagers now work with him, ditching tough out-of-town labor gigs for solid local income through aquaculture. No more chasing distant opportunities—they’re building futures right at home.
The District Fisheries Department credits PMMSY for bringing in cool tech like cage culture, bio-floc systems, and Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS). These tools make fish farming smarter, more productive, and self-sustaining for everyone involved.
District Fisheries Officer Arup Kumar Chaudhary explains, “PMMSY changed everything here. We rolled out cage culture and bio-floc tech, supplied marketing vehicles, and sent direct benefit transfers to over 100 farmers. It’s lifted their earnings and respect in the community.”
Over these five years, fish farming in Ramgarh has gone from old-school survival to a smart, profitable venture. Farmers like Sajikant now afford better schools for their kids and a higher quality of life. What started as a basic livelihood now leads to real prosperity and pride.
Run by the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, PMMSY tackles big issues in the sector—like boosting fish production, adopting new tech, ensuring quality, building post-harvest setups, and strengthening value chains. It promises a robust fisheries industry that fuels food security, jobs, and India’s economy.
With a whopping Rs 20,050 crore investment, the scheme runs nationwide from FY 2020-21 to 2024-25. In the 2023-24 Union Budget, they added a fresh sub-scheme worth Rs 6,000 crore to help fish vendors, small businesses, and better market links.
Stories like these from Jharkhand highlight how PMMSY is reshaping rural India, one fish farm at a time.
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