Total Factor Productivity and Socio-economic Impact of Fisheries Technology in India

The paper assesses the total factor productivity (TFP) growth in the Indian fisheries sector, examines the impact of fisheries sector on different stakeholders and estimates the rate of return to public investment on fisheries research and development. Time series-cum-cross-section data by state for inland and marine fish productions pertaining to fisheries resources, production, input use, prices and investment on fish research and development have been compiled from various published sources. Divisia-Tornqvist index has been used for computing TFP for the inland and marine fisheries. The TFP annual growth has been estimated to be 4.0 per cent for the aquaculture sector and 2.0 per cent for the marine sector. Multi-market fish sector model developed at the WorldFish Center (Malaysia) has been used for India. For a given time horizon (2005-2015), projections for price, supply, demand, and export have been obtained under different fish technological growth scenarios. The contribution of technological change to the development of fisheries sector has been substantial on producers as well as consumers. Further technological advancements would make the availability of fish to the consumers at cheaper rates and improve their nutritional security. The producers' income will also be enhanced. The internal rate of return to investment on fish research and development has been projected to be in the range of 42 to 55 per cent under different TFP scenarios