VIJAYAWADA: Union Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, and Dairy Giriraj Singh has said the Centre is going to take up various development activities with an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore. The minister, who visited the aquaculture tank owned by Andhra Pradesh State Agriculture Mission (APSAM) vice-president MVS Nagi Reddy in Janardhanapuram village of Gudivada in Krishna district on Thursday, said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held discussions with the Union Government for the development of 900 km long coast in the State, which is nearly 10 per cent of the entire coastline of the country.
Explaining the purpose of his visit, the Union minister said he wants to know the problems being faced by aqua farmers in the region. Describing Andhra Pradesh as number one in fish and shrimp production in the country, Giriraj Singh said the Centre was making every effort to increase the productivity of aquaculture in the country.
“Since Narendra Modi Government came to power, the aquaculture production has increased and around Rs 47,000 crore revenue was earned from aquaculture products. Now we are targeting to increase the average fish production from 3 tonnes per acre to 6 tonnes per acre,” he said. For the first time the Centre has formed the Ministry for Fisheries for encouraging aquaculture farmers to produce more varieties of fish to improve the market, the minister said.