Boost to Fisheries Sector: DDC provides ice boxes to fishermen at Kishtwar

Boost to Fisheries Sector: DDC provides ice boxes to fishermen at KishtwarKISHTWAR, MARCH 25: District Development Commissioner (DDC) Kishtwar, Pankaj Kumar Sharma today inaugurated the distribution of ice boxes among fishermen and fish farmers at a function held here at New DC Office.The ice boxes, procured by the Fisheries Department have been provided under the Jammu & Kashmir Competitiveness Improvement in Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP), an IFAD-supported initiative aimed at strengthening agriculture and allied sectors.Beneficiaries from five blocks of Mugalmaidan, Palmar, Thakrai, Kishtwar and Nagseni received the ice boxes as part of the programme.The initiative focuses on improving post-harvest management by minimizing spoilage and ensuring hygienic handling of fish during storage and transportation.Notably, the District Level Committee (DLC) approved 79 applications under the scheme, surpassing the initial target of 74 allotted to the Fisheries Department for the district. This reflects strong community participation and effective outreach among local fishers.Speaking on the occasion, the DDC highlighted that the intervention aims to strengthen direct market linkages for traditional fishing communities.He emphasized that providing essential infrastructure like ice boxes will enhance shelf life, reduce post-harvest losses and enable fishers to secure better prices for their produce.The initiative aligns with JKCIP’s broader objective of empowering vulnerable and traditional occupational groups, including fishermen and fish farmers, through climate-resilient and market-oriented support mechanisms.The event was attended by ADDC Vinod Kumar Behnal; ACR Idrees lone; AD Fisheries Lal Hussain; CHO Sajid Mustafa; DNO Ayush Dr. Vikram Singh Jamwal; Inspector Fisheries Bashir Ahmed besides other staff from Fisheries and other concerned departments.