After litchi, Uttarakhand has added fish to its export kitty for the first time in more than 25 years of the state’s history. The first consignment of five metric tons of fish was sent recently to Nepal, as a fresh target of 30 metric tons was set for the next consignment to European and Middle East markets.
Three cooperative societies from the Pithoragarh district in Kumaon exported five metric tons of fish to Nepal, opening a gateway for the state’s pisciculture entrepreneurs to reach the international fish market. Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Saurav Bahuguna has informed that the state will soon increase this figure to 30 metric tons of fish and thereafter look for other markets for its fish farmers.
Uttarakhand is gearing up to export around 30 tons of fish in the coming days.
Sharing the information on Friday, Saurabh Bahuguna stated that the export consignment of fish was produced by three pisciculture cooperative societies from the Dharchula and Munsyari regions of Pithoragarh. “The consignment was processed and successfully sent to Nepal on June 23, 2026, marking the beginning of the state’s fish exports. It generated an income of approximately ₹23.50 lakh for 33 fish farmers. The state fisheries department provided gap funding assistance of ₹5.40 lakh for harvesting, packaging, and transportation to encourage the farmers and promote the maiden export from Uttarakhand,” the minister said.
He said, “The department is now exploring export opportunities in the markets of Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. In line with this, preparations are underway to export about 30 tons of fish abroad in the near future.”
Bahuguna added that this was the result of the Pushkar Singh Dhami government’s plan to create new employment opportunities in fish farming in the state.
The minister further stated that pisciculture is making steady progress in the state. “The state had 10,011 fish farmers till 2022, which has now increased to 15,657, including 3,584 women fish farmers. Fish farming growth in the state was a mere two per cent between 2012 and 2017, as against 11 per cent growth in the last four years. The state’s fish production in 2026–27 was 11,805 metric tons, worth nearly ₹165 crore,” Bahuguna said. He claimed that the annual budget of the fisheries department has increased from ₹55.76 crore in 2021–22 to ₹261.41 crore in 2026–27.