Provided technical support to sustain and strengthen the Fishery Producer Organization and build on the other value chain interventions in the fishery sub-sector in West Tripura.

Fishery occupies a unique place in the socio-economic life of the people in Tripura. However, as compared to the developments in agriculture and livestock/poultry, fish farming still continues to be practiced on low levels of technology, resulting in poor productivity and production. Lack of capital, redundant extension services, lack of improved technologies and shortage of vital inputs such as quality seed and cost-effective and efficient feed, and poor post-harvest infrastructure are the main reasons for the low levels of productivity in the state. Keeping in view and limited resources for capture fisheries in the state, thrust are being laid by NERLP & SDS in both vertical (increase in productivity) and horizontal (increase in area for aquaculture) expansion of aquaculture through implementation of various beneficiary-oriented programmes, demonstration of technology coupled with capacity building and training etc.

Developed Technical Protocol on “Community Managed Intensification of Table Fish Production in ponds of West Tripura and Sepahijala District” mentioning details of Package of Practices, Economics of Production and Marketing Cost and Return of fish production etc in local languages. These documents really expedited the process of implementation. The information dissemination channel was very much efficient to take the project to next level i.e., from production to marketing. During the project, the production was increased by 28 percent. To brought down the cost of cultivation SDS, formed 2 FPOs under this project with having 3276 farmers. SDS upgraded the capacities of the FPO staff through constant training (FPO, business planning and financial literacy) and monitoring support . Also helped the FPO to set up a  feed mill at West Tripura with average production of 4MT per day . SDS facilitated to set up a FRP carp hatchery in convergence with Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA).

To meet the learning need of the fishery farmers, the concept of mobile aquaculture learning centre was planned to introduce in the NERLP fishery cluster. The mobile aquaculture learning centre was one vehicle equipped with all the equipment needed for water quality testing and good aquaculture practices. As a result, 78% percent of farmers rooted with the FPO has adopted at least one scientific practice during these periods.

The major outcomes of the project