Dr. B.K. Behera, Chief Executive of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), interacted with the newly elected Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Fishermen Cooperative Societies Federation (APFCOF), Atagiri Ramprasad, and district presidents of fishermen cooperative societies on June 20.
The meeting was held in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Fisheries Commissioner Rama Shankar Naik and focused on strengthening fisheries cooperatives and expanding livelihood opportunities for fishers across the state.
During the interaction, participants were briefed on various Government of India initiatives, including the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), the NFDB Entrepreneur Model, and other schemes aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and enhancing incomes in the fisheries sector.
The discussion emphasized greater participation of cooperative institutions in fisheries development, infrastructure creation, value addition and market access. NFDB officials encouraged cooperative leaders to leverage central schemes to improve productivity, create sustainable livelihoods and strengthen the cooperative movement in the fisheries sector.
