Uttarakhand becomes first Himalayan state to export trout to Nepal and supply fish to ITBP

PTI, Oct 19, 2026, Pithoragarh: Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, chaired a review meeting on the Pithoragarh Coldwater Fisheries Cluster at the Collectorate in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, on Monday.

The hybrid meeting was attended by Shri Sanjay Kumar Gunjyal, Additional Director General (ADG), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP); Smt Gunjan Krishna, Joint Secretary, Department of Fisheries; Dr J K Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries Science), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR); Dr B K Behera, Chief Executive Officer, National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB); Shri P Jawahar, Chairman, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA); Shri Ashish Kumar Bhatgain, District Magistrate, Pithoragarh; Shri Chandra Singh Dharamshaktu, Director of Fisheries, Uttarakhand; and representatives of Himalayan states, NABARD, ICAR-DCFR, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), trout farmers and other stakeholders, through physical and virtual modes.

The Union Secretary highlighted the importance of coldwater fisheries in the Himalayan region of India, which offers unique and favourable ecological conditions for rainbow trout farming. The Government of India has notified 34 fisheries clusters across the country, including a coldwater fisheries cluster in Pithoragarh.

During the review, Shri Ashish Kumar Bhatgain, District Magistrate of Pithoragarh, presented an overview of the achievements and initiatives in the district's fisheries sector. He highlighted the need to strengthen market linkages, promote trout value addition and ensure better prices for fish farmers. He assured that the district administration would work in coordination with the Department of Fisheries to address these challenges and further strengthen the sector.

Dr B K Behera, Chief Executive Officer, NFDB, delivered a detailed presentation on the Coldwater Fisheries Cluster Programme, highlighting pre-production and post-production gaps and outlining a roadmap for the next five years.

Smt Gunjan Krishna, Joint Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Government of India, in her opening remarks, highlighted the importance of convergence and technological interventions in coldwater fisheries. She further added that value chain infrastructure needed to be strengthened.

The Union Secretary suggested that other Himalayan states explore the possibility of signing memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to supply trout to ITBP and other armed forces in coordination with the Department of Fisheries, Government of India. Shri Sanjay Kumar Gunjyal, Additional Director General (ADG), informed the meeting that ITBP units in north-eastern states such as Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have significant requirements for trout fish.

The Union Secretary interacted with trout fish farmers during the meeting on the Pithoragarh Coldwater Fisheries Cluster at the Collectorate Conference Hall in Pithoragarh. Trout farmers highlighted key issues, including the need for better prices for trout, training and capacity building, and the availability of quality feed at reasonable rates.

Smt Rekha Joshi, a woman fish farmer, shared her success story and informed the meeting that she had started producing value-added fish products such as fish balls, fish fingers and fish momos, generating daily sales of approximately Rs 5,000. Another trout farmer from Munsiyari highlighted that the rates for trout supplied to ITBP were quite low, considering the high costs of feed and transportation.

The Union Secretary discussed the future roadmap for strengthening trout farming across the Himalayan states. Deliberations focused on addressing challenges related to trout seed availability, feed supply, productivity and cold-chain infrastructure, alongside strengthening scientific support, market linkages and the fisheries value chain. He also suggested submitting detailed project reports (DPRs) for various projects to NFDB, with due diligence, to meet future requirements for pre-production, production and post-production. The Union Secretary also stressed the importance of these measures.

The Secretary further emphasised the need to encourage greater participation of start-ups and entrepreneurs in coldwater fisheries clusters. He highlighted the importance of strengthening cold-chain infrastructure, including establishing cold storage facilities near airports and railway stations, to facilitate trout transportation and exports.

He also stressed the need to collaborate with the armed forces, including ITBP, to expand trout procurement from other Himalayan states, supported by a whole-of-government approach and a cooperative-led model to strengthen the cluster.

Shri P Jawahar, Chairman, MPEDA, emphasised the importance of training and capacity building for trout farmers to strengthen their technical skills and improve export readiness. He highlighted the need to promote best practices in post-harvest handling, quality assurance, processing and value addition to enhance product quality, competitiveness and access to domestic and international markets.

Dr J K Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries Science), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), highlighted ICAR's research and technical support for the development of trout fish clusters. The focus is on promoting scientific aquaculture practices, strengthening technical capacity and supporting the sustainable development of coldwater fisheries.