Kamal Sahney’s farm at Bahudinpur village in Jalandhar district has neither wheat nor paddy stored in 50 circular tanks lined up in rows under a polysheet-covered shed spread over less than an acre. Nearly 7-8 feet deep and around four metres wide, each tank holds nearly 15,000 litres of water and fish seeds inside, being raised in a controlled environment — turning a small holding into an intensive aquaculture enterprise.The project set up on around 1.25 acres cost her around Rs 50 lakh, of which about Rs 30 lakh, or 60 per cent, has come as a subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).A BTech IT professional settled in Canada, Sahney started this enterprise in February. Barely six months later, she completed her first fish-seed production cycle and is preparing for another before winter sets in. In her first year, she aims to sell 7-8 lakh fish seeds for Rs 1 to Rs 8 per piece, depending on variety and size.“We are selling seeds off-season when it’s not available at the government and other seed farms and fetching us good money. One can earn Rs 8 lakh to over Rs 50 lakh from one acre or more, depending on how enterprising a person is,” she said.Sahney also has a small open pool for growing fish for consumption.Under the biofloc fish-farming system, beneficial microbes convert fish waste into useful biomass, helping maintain water quality and reducing the need for frequent water replacement. With continuous aeration and proper feed, the system allows more fishto be raised in a relatively smaller area.“The 60 per cent subsidy encouraged me and my husband Karandeep Singh to take up the project. A 15 KW solar system installed with the assistance of another government scheme helped us cut the electricity cost,” she said.Story continues below this adFor Punjab, where the farm economy has long revolved around wheat and paddy, the enterprise represents a different proposition — intensive production from a small area, with technology replacing acreage as a key input.Sahney is, however, not the only one to get the PMMSY benefit.PMMSY in PunjabLaunched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 10, 2020, for five years and extended tillSeptember 2026, the PMMSY in its first phase saw Punjab women emerging as a significant force in fisheries diversification.According to Punjab Fisheries Department data up to September 2026, Rs 3,667.08 lakh has been disbursed under the scheme. Of this, Rs 1,947.96 lakh was distributed among 239 women — comprising 53 per cent of the total subsidy disbursed.Story continues below this adThe subsidy is provided for the construction of new grow-out ponds, shrimp ponds, recirculatory aquaculture system (RAS), biofloc (small and large) system, insulated vehicle, motorcycle/ auto-rickshaw with ice box, mini fish feed mill, cold storage, fish kiosk, refrigerator van, etc.Under specified components of PMMSY, women are eligible for assistance of 60 per cent of the prescribed project cost, compared to 40 per cent for men under the general category.The Fisheries Department has supplemented the financial assistance with awareness programmes, facilitation for subsidy and free-of-cost training under PMMSY, helping women enter activities ranging from fish and shrimp farming to biofloc units, recirculatory aquaculture systems and fisheries-related infrastructure.One acre, several enterprisesAt Jaitewali village in Jalandhar, Ahneer Kaur, a young BSc Biotechnology graduate, has taken a different route. Her 0.45-hectare or 1.12-acre freshwater fish pond is the centre of an integrated farm that includes organic seasonal vegetables, geese rearing and solar power. She has also planned poultry and goat farming.Story continues below this adKaur embarked on the project in 2024 as her father Sukhjinder Singh, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), wanted her to be an entrepreneur. Of the total cost of around Rs 14 lakh, she received 60 per cent assistance for fish culture, and a 10-KW solar system received a 35 per cent subsidy. She also availed a loan of Rs 2 lakh on her Kisan Credit Card.According to Kaur, once the enterprise reaches full production, it will yield 2.5-3 tonnes per acre and generate around Rs 2-3 lakh per acre after expenses.Saline land becomes shrimp landIn Punjab’s south-western districts, the challenge is different. Salinity and waterlogging have made conventional agriculture increasingly difficult, prompting farmers to look for alternatives.Rupinder Kaur in Muktsar Sahib was introduced toshrimp farming under PMMSY by an awareness camp organised by the Fisheries Department in her Inna Khera village.Story continues below this ad“After training, I began with my family’s four acres in 2021. Now, we have expanded shrimp farming to around 35 acres,” she said.Kaur, a graduate, underwent training in shrimp culture and was subsequently nominated for advanced training in shrimp culture in earthen biofloc ponds at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) in Ludhiana and Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE) in Rohtak.The family cultivates Litopenaeus vannamei (Whiteleg shrimp) and has also moved into value addition by including shrimp pickle.Kaur says the farm follows two cycles a year and earns her a profit of Rs 7-8 lakh per acre annually after all expenses on 13.5 acres. The family is reinvesting profits in the infrastructure as the enterprise expands to 35 acres.Story continues below this adHer work has also received national recognition, including an invitation to the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.According to Punjab Fisheries Department data, the state has around 1,120 acres under shrimp farming, producing about 2,792.30 tonnes.From housewife to aquaculture entrepreneurIn Fazilka, Harmanpreet Kaur, a BA graduate and housewife, established a shrimp farming and marketing enterprise in 2025.She purchased a nine-tonne-capacity refrigerated vehicle, with a project cost of less than Rs 25 lakh, and received Rs 15 lakh assistance under PMMSY. The vehicle transports shrimp from farms to processing units and markets, besides carrying feed and seed.Story continues below this adDuring the shrimp season, April-November, she estimates net monthly earnings of Rs 1- Rs 1.5 lakh. The enterprise has generated four jobs and provides transportation support to other shrimp farmers.An active member of the Pentapotamia Aquaculture Farmer Producer Company, she also encourages new and women farmers to adopt shrimp culture and modern aquaculture technologies.Other women beneficiariesOther women PMMSY beneficiaries include Robindeep Kaur of Khiala Kalan, who has a three-acre shrimp pond at Jattana Khurd and received Rs 8,95,800 subsidy in 2022, and Bhupinder Kaur of Bahadur Khera, who received Rs 2,45,248 subsidy for a 0.70-hectare project.In Bathinda, Sharanjit Kaur is pursuing aquaculture as an alternative farm enterprise. She has encouraged a large number of women in her village to adopt fishery and shrimp farming.Story continues below this adThe financial assistance is, however, only one part of the story.A new generation of women farmersThe Fisheries Department has taken the scheme to villages, created awareness about alternatives to conventional agriculture and provided beneficiaries free-of-cost training under PMMSY.Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Rahul Bhandari said, “With the first phase of PMMSY ending in September, more significant change is in the profile of women entering the sector.”“The women in Punjab have not only availed themselves of the scheme, but have also achieved significant success,” he said. “Their participation has created a new generation of women farmers in the state.”“Given their potential, I hope the second phase of PMMSY will be more successful,” he said. “Women officers, along with their male colleagues, are also making efforts to popularise the scheme and strengthen the Blue Revolution.”Director and Warden of Fisheries for the Department of Fisheries, Punjab, Hardev Singh also stressed the importance of bringing more women into aquaculture, particularly through enterprises generating substantial returns from small holdings and through models suited to saline and waterlogged land.“Punjab’s women entering fisheries fit that changing definition. One is raising fish seeds in 50 tanks on about an acre. Another is building an integrated farm around one pond. Some other has turned saline land into a shrimp enterprise. One has moved into refrigerated transport and marketing. All of them are doing great work under the scheme,” said the Director, adding that Punjab has different farmers now.Meanwhile, Punjab now has around 45,156 acres, including 1,422 acres under the PMMSY scheme underfish farming and produces about 2.11 lakh metric tonnes of fish annually, according to Fisheries Department data. The state has 16 government fish-seed farms, besides feed mills and soil and water testing laboratories.As the first phase of PMMSY is finalised, their stories point to a broader possibility for Punjab’s agricultural diversification: the answer does not always have to be another crop. Sometimes, it can be fish. Sometimes shrimp. And sometimes, an entirely different kind of farm.