Ornamental Fisheries Business Flourishes in Kerala Post-Covid

Kerala Aqua Ventures International Limited Boosts Sector with Initiatives

Ornamental Fisheries Business Flourishes in Kerala Post-Covid

Kochi - The ornamental fisheries sector in Kerala is experiencing a revival, thanks to efforts by the Kerala Aqua Ventures International Limited (KAVIL), a government of Kerala undertaking. The sector faced significant losses during the Covid pandemic, but KAVIL's initiatives, such as buyer-seller meets, startup training, and effective marketing strategies, have helped hundreds of families sustain their livelihoods and improve their income.

The buyer-seller meet, held every Monday, has generated a business worth Rs 7.2 million. This event has been pivotal in streamlining market avenues and connecting wholesale traders from across the country with ornamental fish farmers in the state.

M.S. Saju, Managing Director of KAVIL and Joint Director of the Department of Fisheries, stated that the buyer-seller meet has become a game-changer in the sector. The platform is increasingly popular among farmers and traders, with increased dealings in recent months. "We are taking measures to attract wholesale giants in the industry into KAVIL, aiming to do a business of Rs five crore annually by 2025 through this platform and make the state a hub of ornamental fisheries in the country," said Saju.

Ornamental fish from Kerala are known for their quality and variety, with popular species including Koi carp, Oscar, angelfish, cichlid, tetra, and morphs in varied colors.

Dr. Mini Sekharan, Marketing Consultant of KAVIL and Associate Professor in the School of Industrial Fisheries at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), highlighted that the lack of large-scale production for consistent supply to domestic and international markets and proper marketing strategies hindered the growth of a highly prospective industry in Kerala in the past. "India is a country with huge domestic market potential, which can be explored well with enhanced production and marketing," said Sekharan.

Tags: Kerala