Aquaex Northeast in Guwahati on June 12 &13

Shillong. April 23: Aquaex Northeast 2026, a  regional fisheries & aquaculture expo and seminar will be held on June 12 and 13 in Guwahati.

The event is being organised by Aquaex India in collaboration with the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Government of India, along with partnership support from Progressive Farmer Trust.

In this regard, a press meet was  held at the Shillong Press Club, attended by Ashim Kumar Borah, Senior Executive (Tech) & Officer-in-Charge, NFDB-NERC, Guwahati; Anup Sarmah, Governing Body Member, NFDB, Ministry of Fisheries, Government of India and Rajnish Kumar,Governing Body Member, NFDB and Convenor, AquaEx, Hyderabad.

Addressing a press conference, Rajnish Kumar said the Northeast is poised for a transformative phase in fisheries, with Aquaex Northeast 2026 scheduled to be held on June 12 and 13, 2026 at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre, Guwahati. He noted that the event will, for the first time in the region, bring together the entire freshwater fisheries value chain under one roof – from farmers and hatcheries to technology providers, processors, financial institutions and policymakers.

He emphasised that although India is not food-deficit, the country faces a protein gap, making fisheries a crucial sector for nutritional security and livelihood generation. The expo will feature seminars, technology demonstrations, and interactions to help farmers adopt modern practices and enhance productivity.

Highlighting key data, it was informed that fish production in Northeast India has increased significantly from approximately 4.03 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 to about 6.41 lakh tonnes in 2023-24. Despite this growth, the region continues to face a chronic shortage, requiring imports of around 43,000 to 90,000 tonnes annually, particularly as over 90–95 per cent of the population are fish consumers. In Meghalaya, fish production currently stands at around 20,000 metric tonnes against a demand of 32,000 metric tonnes, resulting in a deficit of about 12,000 metric tonnes.

Anup Sarmah said the event will host buyer-seller meets, investor interactions, and a Farmer-Scientist-Industry Interface, enabling knowledge exchange and market linkages. He added that renowned fish farmers and experts from across the country will share their experiences, while special focus will be placed on connecting farmers with buyers, including those in niche segments such as rainbow trout fish cultivation.

He emphasised that through this platform, information will be disseminated to fish farmers and entrepreneurs who wish to take aquaculture to the next level as a business opportunity, enabling them to explore this sector as a sustainable and profitable source of revenue.

Ashim Kumar Borah described fisheries as a “sunrise sector” in the Northeast, witnessing an annual growth rate of around 10 per cent. He highlighted that several welfare and development initiatives have been implemented across pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest stages, including investments in hygienic fish marketing and infrastructure.

He further noted that significant funding of around Rs 2,500 crore has been invested in recent years under the flagship Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana(PM-MSY)to strengthen the sector. He emphasised that platforms like Aquaex provide valuable opportunities for farmers to interact with experts, learn from success stories, and adopt innovative solutions despite constraints such as limited land resources.

The organisers highlighted that the National Fisheries Development Board, as the apex body under the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, and the implementing agency of the flagship PM-MSY plays a pivotal role in advancing the Blue Revolution in the country. Aquaex India expressed its privilege in having NFDB as the organising partner for the Northeast edition.

Aquaex Northeast 2026 is further strengthened by the official support of the Fisheries Departments of all eight Northeastern States – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, with Assam serving as the host state. These departments play a crucial role in fisheries planning, infrastructure development, technology adoption, and implementation of central schemes.

The event is expected to host more than fifty exhibitors, along with scientists from Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and progressive farmers from across the country.