Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday virtually inaugurated the newly constructed state-of-the-art fish market in Chandauli from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi.
District magistrate Chandra Mohan Garg said the fish market had the potential to double the income of fish farmers across the Purvanchal region, increase employment opportunities, and revolutionise fish farming.
Garg added, “This is Asia’s largest and most modern fish market, where all fish farming-related facilities, such as wholesale and retail sales, equipment, medicines, feed, training, and processing units, are available under one roof.”
This three-story building spanning 10,000 square metres will provide modern facilities to fisheries entrepreneurs. “This will be the country’s first ultra-model building dedicated to fisheries-related businesses,” he added.
“It will also offer a wholesale and retail fish market, information on fish farming methods, marketing, technology, export and a variety of fish dishes and culinary delights,” said the DM.
A modern exhibition hall has been constructed to showcase new fish farming techniques. Built on the PPP model, this building also has a restaurant. A processing unit will be set up in the future, also under the PPP model.
It has been built on an area of one hectare along the Delhi-Kolkata National Highway. Sixty per cent of the funding for its construction was provided by the central government and 40 per cent by the state government, according to officials.
{{/usCountry}}It has been built on an area of one hectare along the Delhi-Kolkata National Highway. Sixty per cent of the funding for its construction was provided by the central government and 40 per cent by the state government, according to officials.
{{/usCountry}}The DM stated that approximately 1,500 fish farmers currently have large-scale operations in Varanasi, Chandauli, Ghazipur, and Jaunpur, and more than 3,000 families were directly or indirectly involved in this business.
Vijay Pal, the deputy director of the state fisheries department, stated that the Varanasi division has a fish farming business worth approximately ₹200 crore, which the Yogi government aims to double in five years. He stated that this market will have 111 shops, the allocation process for which is underway. The entire building will be centrally air-conditioned, and a 400-kilowatt solar power system has been installed for energy conservation.