Covid-19: Fisheries, marine sectors exempted from curbs; social distancing a must

Covid-19 lockdown: Fisheries is a component of the agriculture sector and a key source of income. Fisheries and aquaculture production contribute around 1% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) and over 5% of the agricultural GDP.

The Union government has exempted fisheries and the marine food industry from the coronavirus disease (Covid-10) lockdown, recognising them as part of the farm-to-fork supply chain. according to instructions issued in a fresh list of exemptions on Saturday,

A fishmonger cuts fish at his stall at meat and fish market during a lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus in Mumbai, India. (Bloomberg)

Fisheries is a component of the agriculture sector and a key source of income. Fisheries and aquaculture production contribute around 1% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) and over 5% of the agricultural GDP.

Exemptions include maintenance of fisheries, harvesting, processing, and packaging. They also covers cold chain storage, sales and marketing; hatcheries and movement of fish and marine food products.

“As specified in the lockdown measures, social distancing and proper hygiene practices must be maintained in each of the above activities,” an order by the Union home ministry, exempting the fisheries sector, stated.

Keeping in view the potential of the aquaculture, inland fisheries, coastal and marine fisheries sectors, the Centre will continue administering schemes under the umbrella “Blue Revolution Scheme” for overall development of fisheries, an official in the animal husbandry department said.

The Centre has over the past week taken a series of steps to shore up the agriculture sector in the backdrop of the continuing lockdown.

On Friday, the government recommended that states suspend certain provisions of their respective Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Acts for three months to allow farmers to sell their harvest from multiple locations and to any buyer.

The APMC Act regulates buying and selling of farm produce in about 5,000 mandis, or farm markets, across the country, which fall in the domain of the state governments. The Act empowers states to notify markets to cater to a specific area and farmers can only sell in their designated markets.

“Farmers should be able to sell to any buyer. Otherwise, all farmers of an area will converge on a single market, which will obstruct the principle of social distancing,” agriculture minister NS Tomar had said in a video press conference. “Therefore, states have been requested to sidestep this mandi Act for three months,” the minister said.

Procurement of wheat is due to start on April 15. The Centre has also asked states to start procuring 25% of pulses and oilseeds under the Centre’s price support scheme. On April 9, the agriculture ministry issued orders, invoking the market intervention scheme, which will allow the Centre to compensate horticulture farmers for a dip in wholesale prices and damage to harvested fruit.