Soreng in Sikkim Is India's First Organic Fisheries Cluster

Soreng district of Sikkim has become the country's first notified Organic Fisheries Cluster under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh, was in Mangan district of the state to review fisheries work under the scheme, and used the occasion to release a certification framework for the whole region.

What was launched

The minister launched the Standard Operating Procedure for Organic Certification of Fisheries in the Northeastern region and inaugurated projects worth 375 lakh rupees under PMMSY for Sikkim. The projects cover hatcheries, feed mills and cold storage, together with production technologies such as Biofloc and the Recirculatory Aquaculture System. Kisan Credit Cards were handed to fish farmers so that institutional credit becomes easier to reach, and cheques went to five fish farmers under the state's Mukhya Mantri Matsya Uthpadhan Yojana. Fish feed was given to fifteen farmers drawn from two fisheries cooperative societies.

How the cluster works

The government has taken a cluster route to developing the fisheries value chain, so that production, processing, value addition and marketing sit within one identified geography. Thirty-four fisheries production and processing clusters have been notified across the country, and organic fisheries clusters figure among them in Sikkim and Meghalaya. The Soreng cluster is built on fish farming without harmful chemicals, antibiotics or pesticides, with the focus species being Amur carp, Indian Major Carps and trout. It leans on the organic ecosystem Sikkim has already built, and aims to lift farmer incomes by opening premium markets at home and abroad.

A buyer for trout

Sikkim has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police for institutional purchase of locally produced Rainbow Trout. The arrangement envisages regular supply to ITBP establishments, with terms covering quality specifications, supply capacity, pricing, inspection and delivery schedules, which gives growers of this high-value coldwater fish a steady buyer.

Who took part

The visit was part of a structured mechanism for periodic visits by Union Ministers to the Northeastern Region so that field-level feedback reaches the programme. Sikkim's Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Agriculture and Horticulture, Puran Kumar Gurung, and the Secretary of the Department of Fisheries, Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, took part along with state officials, ICAR institutes, fish farmers and cooperatives. The minister visited a Live Fish Vending Centre supported under the scheme and saw stalls of fish, ornamental fish and value-added products.