Haryana Fisheries Minister Shyam Singh Rana highlights 2.04 lakh tonne fish output, proposes ₹1,500 Cr investment in markets, processing, and aquarium.
Shyam Singh Rana, The Haryana Fisheries Minister, emphasized the state’s inland fisheries‘ explosive growth, saying that the state has become one of the nation’s top fish-producing landlocked states, producing 2.04 lakh metric tonnes of fish annually from 23,850 hectares of water.
Haryana has produced 166 crore fish seeds, according to Rana, who was speaking at a national fisheries conference in Hyderabad. This shows that the state’s fisheries infrastructure and scientific methods have been strengthened. Despite lacking a coastline, he noted that Punjab leads landlocked states in fish output, while Haryana comes in second.
According to the minister, landlocked states like Haryana make a substantial contribution to India’s fisheries production through pond-based and inland water aquaculture, but they receive less funding than coastal states. This has a direct effect on fish farmers and the GDP of the states.
Rana told the audience that many farmers are switching from traditional agriculture to fish farming because of the higher profits, and that Haryana has been actively pushing fisheries as an alternative livelihood. “By giving farmers an extra source of income, fish farming has also helped address the issue of crop residue management, especially stubble burning,” he continued.
Haryana has established block-level fish seed banks in every district to improve seed quality, according to Rana. The state can now generate high-quality brood stock and increase overall output thanks to the genetically modified fish species that were purchased from CIFA, Bhubaneswar, he noted. He encouraged the Center to release national fish seed management standards and plans in order to guarantee consistent access to high-quality seed in all states.
The minister highlighted the improvement of infrastructure by stating that, similar to Delhi’s Ghazipur and Azadpur mandis, fish growers and business owners now have dedicated space at the India International Horticulture Market, Gannaur (Sonipat).
Additionally, Rana presented the Union government with a number of proposals, such as the construction of contemporary wholesale fish markets in Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Yamunanagar, and Panchkula at an estimated cost of ₹300 crore, as well as the establishment of a fish processing facility in Karnal and a shrimp processing plant in Sirsa with an investment of approximately ₹200 crore. According to the minister, Haryana also plans to invest an estimated ₹1,000 crore to build a world-class aquarium house in Panchkula.
Additionally, the minister disclosed that five acres of land in the Gurugram village of Sultanpur had been transferred for the establishment of a regional center of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), which will help Haryana and the surrounding states.
In an effort to get more policy support, Rana asked the Union Fisheries Ministry to consider organizing a special national conference in Haryana to address the unique issues facing landlocked states in the 2026–2027 fiscal year.
Additionally, he complimented Union Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh for his ongoing assistance and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini for giving Haryana’s fisheries more financial support.