Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, visited Padimuneeswarar Integrated Ornamental Fish Farm at Village Mukkampatti, Melur, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu, on 12 October 2026.
Madurai in Tamil Nadu has been notified as an Ornamental Fisheries Cluster under PMMSY by Government of India. The visit aimed to assess the progress and potential of ornamental fisheries, interact with fish farmers and entrepreneurs, and further strengthen the development of the ornamental fisheries cluster.
During the interaction, the Union Secretary discussed ornamental fish varieties, broodstock and seed availability, water quality, aquatic animal health, transportation and marketing with fish farmers and entrepreneurs. He encouraged scientific breeding and rearing practices, promotion of high-value indigenous species, and collective efforts to enhance access to technology, institutional finance and markets.
Emphasising the Government’s cluster-based development approach, the Secretary stated that 34 notified fisheries clusters are being developed across the country through coordinated interventions covering production, input supply, infrastructure, capacity building, processing, value addition, branding, logistics and market linkages. This approach aims to address value-chain gaps, enhance competitiveness and improve farmers’ incomes.
Padimuneeswarar Integrated Ornamental Fish Farm was established under PMMSY at a project cost of ₹25 lakh. The farm breeds and rears more than 30 varieties of ornamental fish, including guppy, platy, molly, swordtail, goldfish, koi carp, cichlids and fighter fish. With four production cycles annually, the unit produces approximately 2 lakh ornamental fish seeds per year and generates an estimated annual income of ₹3.75 lakh. The farm supplies ornamental fish to domestic markets in Tamil Nadu and Keralam.