Abstract:

This report examines whether commercial small-scale aquaculture contributes to inclusive agricultural transformation in Odisha, India, using mixed methods evidence from market, farm, community, and geospatial surveys, and qualitative “rapid reconnaissance” interviews with 41 value chain actors. Despite Odisha’s high overall fish consumption prevalence, widely observed religious dietary restrictions limit fish consumption to three days per week, reducing aggregate demand for fish and incentives for aquaculture development. Moreover, Odisha faces a “second mover” disadvantage in developing inland aquaculture, as most farmed fish is supplied by highly productive, large- and medium-scale producers in neighboring Andhra Pradesh who remain cost-competitive even after transport costs. Aquaculture growth within Odisha is concentrated in capital-intensive coastal shrimp farming clusters linked to global export markets have expanded rapidly but are largely inaccessible to small-scale producers and may be associated with a variety of exclusionary outcomes. In contrast, inland freshwater aquaculture remains spatially fragmented and predominantly subsistence-oriented. We find no evidence of the emergence of major clusters of commercial freshwater aquaculture farms comparable to those found in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Although government programs have substantially increased the number of community tanks and private ponds over the past decade, pond ownership remains rare, and production is largely oriented toward household consumption or highly localized sales. Climatic stresses and a semi-arid environment also constrain viability. While inland aquaculture seems to make modest contributions to food and nutrition security in Odisha, as evidenced by higher rates of fish consumption in areas with more ponds, it is not presently an important driver of inclusive agricultural transformation.

Keywords: Aquaculture, Fish, Shrimp, Odisha, Food and Nutrition Security, Inclusive agricultural transformation, Commercialization.