Times Agricultural Journal

Role of Nabard

The role being played by Nabard has been multifaceted like planning at the national level and state level, interaction with research organisations and identification of technologies that could be commercialised, formulating guidelines for implementation of these schemes for the other FI’s, entrepreneurs and development agencies, preparation of model bankable projects for adoption in the field, guiding bankers and entrepreneurs in formulation, appraisal and implementation of the projects, conducting special studies and national and state level seminars and workshops for identifying constraints and their solutions, coordinating the activities of various agencies responsible for fisheries development, international cooperation in planning and development with international agencies like FAO, NACA, APRACA, ICLARM, INFOFISH , R&D support etc.

In addition, Nabard has been providing refinance for the fisheries activities financed by various banks. After the implementation of an IDA assisted project in inland fisheries during eighties the focus was shifted to aquaculture projects. As on 31 March, 2001 the cumulative refinance disbursements of Nabard stood at Rs 674.30 crore. Refinance availment from Nabard is the highest with 69 per cent share for cooperative banks followed by commercial banks at 22 per cent, RRBs at 8 per cent and others at one per cent.

Achievements

The physical units financed and completed through Nabard assistance as on 31 March 2000 are as follows:

Mechanised Boats 20774

Other Boats 71004

Brackish water aquaculture 4696 ha

Fresh water aquaculture 264000 ha

Corporates in fisheries development

Corporate participation in fisheries development was earlier limited to the processing sector primarily for exports. They acquired and operated sophisticated fishing vessels through foreign collaboration and established freezing plants. This participation was more prominent after the government adopted the deep-sea policy, when chartered foreign vessels were allowed for operation in the Indian EEZ. After economic liberalization and the aquaculture boom during early 1990s, a number of corporate bodies also acquired lease lands for shrimp farming. As per rough estimated, Rs 600 million have been provided to corporates for shrimp farming.

Future for corporates

There is potential for commercialisation in all three sub-sectors of fisheries - inland, marine and brackish water - where corporates can play a vital role. Some of them are:

Intensive fish farming.
Integrated fish farming with agriculture, livestock and horticulture.
Reservoir development through long-term lease of reservoirs.
Development of Oxbow lakes in the North East.
Onshore and offshore Fin Fish farming in suitable areas.
Mariculture activities.
Acquiring and operating of deep-sea factory vessels.
Diversification of fisheries products for exports as also for domestic markets.

Corporate constraints

Considering the positive growth in fish production, increased exports from marine products, increased ground level credit to the fisheries sector as seen during the first three years of the Ninth Five Year Plan and the vast potential for aquaculture in both marine as well as inland environment, the sector is on the threshold of a major boom. However, there are some major constraints limiting this growth that need to be addressed as follows:

Policy initiatives

Water bodies, both small and large, are leased out for short period varying from 1-3 years. In order to make these water bodies more productive by adopting modern scientific technology through credit, changes in the leasing of water bodies (both small as well as large) are needed. A policy should be designed for long-term lease.

Identification of suitable areas and corresponding species for farming and formulation of guidelines and leasing policy for leasing of the coastal water areas on the seaward side for mariculture activities, which has vast potential.

Formulation of suitable mechanism for regulation of marine fishing vessels in coastal waters to avoid over exploitation and conflicts among fishermen.
Amendments in Coastal Regulation Zone Act to allow aquaculture activities and formulation of a mechanism for regulation of the aquaculture farms in the coastal areas for sustainable aquaculture development.
Reorientation of R&D efforts towards commercialisation of the technologies developed and their extension to farmers.
Introduction of resource specific vessels through foreign collaboration for exploitation of deep-sea resources.
Introduction of conservation measures for monitoring and controlling depletion of the fish stock.
Development of fishery infrastructures for proper hygienic landing centres and cold chain for marketing, to reduce spoilage of fish and improve exports.

Operational constraints

The constraints in the implementation of various schemes through institutional finance are:

Lack of coordination among the implementing agencies like banks / state line departments / research institutes / universities.
Lack of sufficient extension facilities for proper and timely guidance to the fish farmers for farming activities.
Lack of sufficient security for availment of loans as per banks regulations resulting in under financing and improper development of the assets affecting the production.
Lack of adoption of proper technologies due to insufficient knowledge or its application.
Lack of sufficient quality seed for farming and commercial hatcheries for their production for proper farming of different new fish species.
Proper health management measures covering disease diagnosis and their effective control at the farmers level and proper guidance and extension facilities by the concerned development agencies.
Adequate supply of working capital for better adoption of technologies by the farmers especially smaller ones.
Proper insurance scheme for its adoption in the field by the farmers to cover their losses.
Absence of proper repayment scenario due to wilful defaults, which need to be improved by enforcing proper recovery mechanism.

The author is with the Technical Services Department (Fisheries), Nabard, Mumbai