EMERGENCE AND EVOLUTION OF FISHERY IN THE RURAL ASSAM

Agriculture is the core source of livelihoods for the bulk of rural people in developing countries The majorities of the extremely poor people are mainly dependent on agriculture and allied activities in the state of Assam. It has been observed that farm households are diversified with allied activities and numerous supplementary off-farm activities. Improvements in agricultural productivity offer the foremost direct route to the relief of rural poverty. The share of development assistance to agriculture has fallen gradually but the share of allied activities is increasing gradually. Among the allied activities, the emergence of the fishery sector is a remarkable one in the rural economy of Assam. It has been found both the fish and fish seed productions are increasing exponentially in the state. But the growth rate of fish seed production is relatively more than the fish production in the state. Though the production of fish has an increasing trend over the period, still the state has a huge domestic market potentiality of the requirements of fish. If the state of Assam can reduce or remove the existing constraints concerned with the fishing activities and utilize both the potential human and physical resources related to the pisciculture; it will boost the development process of the state to a large extent. This paper seeks to undertake a comprehensive exploration of the emergence and evolution of fishery in the rural economy of Assam. Finally, the paper seeks to discover the market potential of the fish requirements in the state. Finally, It offers a deep analytical description of programmes and policy strategies adopted by both state and the central Government of India for the upliftment of the fishery sector.