Dehradun, Jun 26 (PTI) Uttarakhand has marked its entry into the international seafood market with its first-ever commercial export of five metric tonnes of rainbow trout to Nepal, officials said on Friday.

State Fisheries Development Minister Saurabh Bahuguna told reporters that three cooperative societies from the Dharchula and Munsiari areas of Pithoragarh district produced the fish with support from the state government.

The consignment was transported to Veraval in Gujarat under a strict cold-chain mechanism for processing, before being successfully exported to the Nepalese market on June 23. The initiative generated an income of approximately Rs 23.50 lakh for 33 local fish farmers, the minister claimed.

To encourage this debut export, the state fisheries department provided gap funding assistance worth Rs 5.40 lakh to cover harvesting, packaging, and transport expenses. Bahuguna attributed the breakthrough to the international buyer-stakeholder networks established during the Gulf Food Expo in Dubai.

The fisheries department is now exploring further export opportunities in Europe, West Asia, and South-East Asia. Plans are underway to export around 30 tonnes of fish to overseas markets in the coming days, he said.

According to the minister, the state government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in 2024 to provide domestic marketing support to local farmers. Under this agreement, 45.10 metric tonnes of trout valued at Rs 2.10 crore have been supplied to the paramilitary force so far.

The fisheries sector in the hill state has registered consistent growth over the last few years. The number of fish farmers in Uttarakhand has risen from 10,011 in 2022 to 15,657, including 3,584 women farmers, at present, the minister added. PTI DPT AKY BAL BAL

Rainbow trout export drive boosts Uttarakhand's fisheries sector with cold-chain support, gap funding and new overseas market plans. Uttarakhand's fisheries sector has entered the international seafood market through its first commercial export of rainbow trout to Nepal, supported by state assistance to cooperative societies in Pithoragarh district. The consignment was moved through a cold-chain processing route, and the fisheries department provided gap funding for harvesting, packaging, and transport to facilitate the export. The state is now examining additional export markets in Europe, West Asia and South-East Asia.