Ranchi Women Fish Farmers Boost Income with Value-Added Products: Pickles, Samosas, Soups

Ranchi: Women fish farmers of Angara block in Ranchi district are moving beyond traditional fish sale towards sustainable entrepreneurship.A group of 30 women are diversifying their livelihood prospects through a pilot project launched by the directorate of fisheries, which provides specialised training to make fish-based products such as pickles, samosas, soups and cutlets.Fisheries director Amarendra Kumar said, “Following the training, women have started preparing and selling fish pickle in the local market and they seem to be getting a good response.”He emphasised that if the project proves to be a sustainable and replicable model, the department intends to scale it up across the state to benefit other women involved in the fish sector.In Angara, around 90 women are engaged in cage aquaculture at Getalsud dam, a teachnique that allows high-density fish farming in controlled environments within natural water bodies.

The transition from subsistence activities to technical, commercial-scale farming has laid the foundation for the current value-addition phase.Recognising that raw fish sale is only a part of the value chain, the fisheries department intervened to help these women increase profit margins and drastically reduce post-harvest losses through processing.While raw fish is typically sold at Rs 120-Rs 130 per kg, fish pickle commands a minimum of Rs 200 per 250 grams.

Sunita Devi, a beneficiary, stated that the new skills allowed her to provide a better future for her children.Poonam Devi, another participant, explained that fresh catch of varieties such as pangas or tilapia are taken to the market each morning. “The small number of fish that remains unsold are used to prepare processed or cooked food,” she said, highlighting how the project prevents wastage while creating an additional income stream.Beyond pickles, women have also set up stalls at local fairs to sell fish chilli and fish samosas.Kumar believes that the initiative will build a robust, localised ecosystem where raw materials are transformed into finished goods on-site. “Should the positive response continue, the department plans to move towards professional branding and packaging, eventually introducing these local products to much larger markets,” he said.