KOCHI: Matsyafed (Kerala State Cooperative Federation for Fisheries Development Ltd) is out to catch two fish with one bait. The government-backed agency will launch online service and doorstep delivery of fish by Onam this year.
Besides widening Matsyafed’s customer base, the move will also enable it to add to fishermen’s profit. Considering the fact other online fish delivery firms are based in cities, Matsyafed is looking to start doorstep delivery of the commodity across the state, said P P Chitharanjan, chairman, Matsyafed.
“The services will be launched before Onam. A website, listing the prices of the fish varieties, will be launched. Customers can order the fish online through the portal. Once the order is received, the fish will be supplied to the customer’s doorstep from any of the 33 Matsyafed booths located across Kerala,” said Chitharanjan.“We will launch 15 more booths soon. Our target is to increase the number of booths in the state to 100 before the next financial year,” he said. Matsyafed made an operational profit of more than `7 crore in the 2017-18 fiscal year.
Cold storage
To enhance fish sales, Matsyafed is looking to set up a massive cold storage plant in Kerala. “We have a fund of Rs 100 crore, set aside by the state government, for the purpose. We will also seek the Centre’s assistance. We are looking for a minimum storage capacity of 2,000 tonnes of fish. It will immensely help us in door-to-door sales,” Chitharanjan said.
Mobile app
In a few weeks, Matsyafed will launch a mobile app which will help fishermen know the fish prices at various fish landing harbour in the state. A startup firm in Thiruvananthapuram is developing the app.
Profits
The last two years saw Matsyafed emerging as a profit-making entity for the state. While it recorded a loss of Rs 4.2 crore in the 2015-16 fiscal year, the tables turned in 2016-17, with Matsyafed recording a profit of Rs 2.25 crore.
Things got better in 2017-18, as its profit margin increased to Rs 7.67 crore. The aquaculture farms of Matsyafed generated a profit of Rs 44 lakh and Rs 72 lakh in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 fiscal years, respectively. The National Fisheries Development Board has selected Matsyafed as the best cooperative entity in the country. The award will be given in a function at Visakhapatnam on July 10.
‘Existing laws inadequate to curb fish adulteration’
On the recent seizures of adulterated fish in the state, Matsyafed chairman P P Chitharanjan said the present laws were inadequate to curb the malpractice. “The government should amend the laws so that the guilty get apt punishment. As per the food safety norms at present, a fine of Rs 10,000 is imposed on those who provide adulterated fish.
There are several legal loopholes, though. If the law is altered to provide stringent punishment, none will dare to sell adulterated fish,” he said. Moreover, said Chitharanjan, if the local self-government (LSG) bodies intensify inspections, the sale of adulterated fish can be curbed. “Every LSG body has health squads. If the squads conduct regular inspections, people will be afraid of selling such fish. Adulterated fish arrive from Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh in the state during the trawling ban,” he said.