Himachal Introduces Risk Fund, MSP Support for Fish Farmers
The Himachal Pradesh Government has approved two new measures aimed at giving fish farmers and fishermen greater financial security against natural disasters and uncertain market prices.
Under the Risk Fund for Trout Farmers, the government has created a corpus of ₹1 crore to compensate registered trout farmers who suffer losses due to floods, cloudbursts, landslides and other natural calamities.
Farmers will contribute an annual subscription of ₹500 to join the scheme. In case of the complete loss of 2,000 or more fingerlings or yearlings, compensation of ₹25,000 per raceway will be provided. Assistance will be limited to two raceways, with a maximum benefit of ₹50,000 per farmer. Smaller losses will be compensated proportionately.
Claims will be verified through field inspections and examined by a state-level committee. Once approved, the compensation will be transferred directly to beneficiaries’ Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.
In another significant step, the government has introduced a Minimum Support Price of ₹100 per kg for reservoir fish under the Mukhya Mantri Machhuara Sahayata Yojna.
The measure is designed to protect fishermen from sharp market fluctuations and distress sales. If fish sold through the authorised auction system fetches less than the fixed MSP, the government will provide support of up to ₹20 per kg through Direct Benefit Transfer.
Around 6,000 to 6,300 active licensed reservoir fishermen are expected to benefit from the scheme every year.
The government is already providing financial assistance to fishermen under the Mukhymantri Machhuara Samman Nidhi Yojna. Under the scheme, fishermen receive ₹3,500 annually during the fishing ban period imposed for fish conservation and breeding.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the measures were part of the government’s efforts to strengthen the rural economy and provide greater security to people dependent on traditional livelihoods.
He said the Risk Fund would offer much-needed relief to trout farmers when natural disasters wipe out their stock, while the MSP mechanism would help reservoir fishermen secure better and more predictable returns for their catch.
The Chief Minister said fisheries have considerable potential to generate employment and improve incomes, particularly in Himachal Pradesh’s reservoir areas and high-altitude regions.
He added that the government would continue to introduce farmer- and fisherman-friendly measures to create sustainable livelihoods, improve rural incomes and move Himachal Pradesh towards greater self-reliance.
