Tamil Nadu State Apex Fisheries Co-operative Federation has launched the distribution of ‘mopeds with ice boxes’ and ice boxes to fishermen and fisherwomen, promoting mobile fish retail marketing, a special drive announced by National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB).
Collector K. Nanthakumar and federation president Xavier Manoharan launched the scheme here on Wednesday by distributing mopeds with ice boxes, which come with 25 per cent subsidy, and ice boxes with 50 per cent subsidy offered by the NFDB. Deputy Director of Fisheries Kasinatha Pandian was present on the occasion.
This is part of the NFDB’s special drive to promote mobile retail marketing of fish and encourage fishermen and fishermen to earn additional income by making available farm fresh or sea fresh fish to customers.
After the NFDB announced the subsidised scheme, the federation received 2,227 applications from all over the State for purchase of mopeds with 50-litre ice boxes and all the applicants would be given the mopeds, Mr. Manoharan said. In Ramanathapuram, all the 690 applicants would be given the mopeds, he said.
Similarly, the federation, as on date, had received 8,284 applications for buying 220-litre ice boxes and all the beneficiaries would be given the ice boxes procured from an Ahmedabad-based company. The distribution of the mopeds and the ice boxes would be completed in the next three months, he added.
S. Selvarasu, Assistant Director/Project Officer of the federation, said the total subsidy amount stood at Rs. 2.71 crore and the beneficiaries’ contribution was Rs. 5.94 crore. He said the federation would organise a training camp for fishermen in the district in the making of solar lanterns.
It would provide the spare parts and train the womenfolk to make the lights which could be used in their retail stalls and homes, he said.
It proposed to train 20 fisherwomen from each coastal district, who would be tied up with the company which supplied the spare parts to enable the trained women to train others, he added.
The federation had already trained 20 fisherwomen each from Chennai and Kancheepuram districts, he said.
