Munsiyari, a high Himalayan town in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district, has quietly become one of India’s most exciting rainbow trout farming hubs — and the country’s top fisheries official has just put it firmly on the map.
On 18 October 2026, Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary of the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, visited Munsiyari to review the progress of coldwater aquaculture in the region. He met trout farmers at Johar Matsya Swayatt Sehkarita and Namjala Trout Farm, and praised the pioneering role of local cooperatives in turning rainbow trout farming into a sustainable livelihood.
Why Munsiyari works for trout
Munsiyari’s advantage is nature itself: glacial streams of the Gori Ganga and ideal cold-water temperatures create near-perfect conditions for rainbow trout culture. What was once subsistence fishing is now transforming into a semi-commercial enterprise, with cooperatives leading the way.
Pithoragarh has been notified as a Cold Water Fisheries Cluster under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) — one of 34 fisheries clusters notified across the country. The cluster tag is designed to strengthen fisheries cooperatives, expand livelihood opportunities and promote sustainable fisheries development in the Himalayan region.
The ₹2,299 crore coldwater push
The Secretary highlighted that the Government of India, under PMMSY, has invested over ₹2,299 crore in coldwater regions, supporting raceways, hatcheries, feed mills, cold storages and post-harvest infrastructure. To be clear, that figure covers coldwater regions across the country — not Munsiyari alone — but Munsiyari is one of its showcase success stories.
Across the six hilly states and Union Territories where coldwater fisheries are concentrated — Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh — the numbers tell the story of a sector scaling fast:
| Infrastructure sanctioned | Number |
|---|---|
| Raceways | More than 5,600 |
| Hatcheries | 54 |
| Cold storages | 293 |
| Feed mills | 260 |
Trout production has grown six-fold over the past decade, reaching nearly 5,000 metric tonnes a year.
Uttarakhand’s own trout plan
Within Uttarakhand, projects worth ₹317 crore have been sanctioned, including modern fish markets, landing centres and an integrated aquapark at Sitarganj. The state has also launched the Trout Protsahan Yojna with an outlay of ₹170 crore, aiming to establish 1,500 raceways, 100 mini hatcheries and 600 cold-storage facilities by 2028–29.
Scientific backing has come from ICAR–Central Institute of Coldwater Fisheries Research (DCFR), Bhimtal, which introduced rainbow trout to Munsiyari and supports farmers with seed production, disease management and training.
From mountain streams to new markets
The payoff is already visible in trade. Uttarakhand achieved its first international trout export to Nepal in June 2026, and the state’s Department of Fisheries is also supplying trout to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) under a memorandum of understanding with the state government — an assured institutional market for border-village farmers.
The Secretary stressed that coldwater fisheries in the hilly states matter for more than fish: they diversify livelihoods, improve nutritional security, open export potential, support eco-tourism and strengthen border-village economies — while also contributing to the conservation of prized species like mahseer.
What this means for fish farmers
- Cooperatives work: Munsiyari’s story is driven by local cooperatives, not outside companies — a model other hill villages can copy.
- Cold water is an asset: glacial streams and cool temperatures that once limited farming are now the very reason trout thrives.
- Markets are opening: exports to Nepal and institutional supply to the ITBP show mountain trout can travel beyond local mandis.
- Support exists: PMMSY cluster backing, state schemes and ICAR-DCFR science are all in play for coldwater farmers.
For hill farmers wondering whether aquaculture can work at altitude, Munsiyari’s answer is already swimming in its raceways.
Cover image is an illustration inspired by Himalayan trout raceways, not a photograph of the farms named above.
Sources: IANS report, 18 October 2026, carried by Punjab Kesari, Free Press Journal and Lokmat Times (“Munsiyari emerges as trout fish farming hub in Himalayan region”); Department of Fisheries visit coverage, Orissa Diary, 18 October 2026; Hospitality Lexis summary of the visit and PMMSY coldwater figures. All figures verified against today’s date, 26 October 2026; this post carries no application deadline or expired window.