The Department of Fisheries (DoF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to provide a digital platform for buying and selling fish and fish products through e-marketplace. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri Parshottam Rupala, Minister of State Dr. L Murugan, Secretary (Fisheries) Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Joint Secretary (Inland Fisheries), Shri Sagar Mehra, MD, ONDC Shri. T. Koshy and other esteemed dignitaries on 19 February 2024 at New Delhi.
Department of Fisheries and ONDC objectives
The collaboration aims to empower all stakeholders in the fisheries sector, including traditional fishermen, fish farmers, Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs), self-help groups, entrepreneurs and cooperatives by connecting them in a structured manner through ONDC’s unique e-marketing platform. ONDC is an initiative of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to promote open network based digital commerce that is inclusive, transparent and interoperable.
The MoU will enable the DoF and ONDC to work together on various aspects such as capacity building, training, outreach, awareness generation, data sharing, monitoring and evaluation to ensure effective implementation of the digital commerce platform in the fisheries sector. The MoU will also facilitate the promotion of value-added fisheries products that will allow producers to capture higher margins and diversify their product offerings.
Union Minister Shri Parshottam Rupala hailed the MoU as a historical step towards fulfilling the Digital India initiative and transforming the fisheries sector through initiatives like Blue Revolution, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) and Kisan Credit Card (KCC). He emphasized that the collaboration would serve numerous benefits for fisheries industries such as reduced transaction costs, increased market reach, improved transparency, increased competition & competitiveness, innovation and employment generation.
Stakeholders’ Views and Experiences
Minister of State Dr. L Murugan highlighted the groundbreaking nature of the collaboration and its potential to revolutionize the fisheries sector. He stressed the importance of automation in the value chain and fish processing units while interacting with fishermen and FFPOs during MoU signing ceremony. He also expressed his happiness over providing digital platform to the traditional fishermen, FFPOs and other stakeholders for buying and selling fish and fish products through e-market.
Secretary (Fisheries) Dr Abhilaksh Likhi underscored the importance of capacity building, training and outreach efforts to empower fishermen in utilizing ONDC’s features effectively. He also appreciated the efforts of FFPOs and their success stories such as development of live fish transport unit.
MD, ONDC Shri. T. Koshy thanked the DoF for their support and cooperation in making this collaboration possible. He assured that ONDC would provide all the necessary technical assistance and guidance to ensure smooth functioning of the digital commerce platform in the fisheries sector.
The MoU signing ceremony was also attended by representatives of FFPOs, who shared their experiences of before and after getting onboarded at ONDC platform. They expressed their gratitude to the DoF and ONDC for providing them with an opportunity to access wider markets and increase their income.
Conclusion
The Department of Fisheries has signed a MoU with ONDC to provide a digital platform for buying and selling fish and fish products through e-marketplace. This is a milestone for digital commerce in fisheries sector that will benefit all stakeholders involved.
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