SMSSL - NAKHWA builds India's first ever "Surimi Benefication project" to provide employment to the natives and foreign currency to the nation.

In Center Shri Keshav Budhaji Koli with his grandson Mr. Sunny  @ SMSSL - NAKHWA / TGN. 

MUMBAI, 4 January, 2018 (TGN) / By Sachin Murdeshwar :  Konkan is a beautiful dream that happened to the land of Maharashtra. Blessed with nature's marvelous beauty, Konkan has Koli Agri brother as it's native. With a coastline of around 720 kms, the sea offers a treasure of various diverse species of fishes. Taking boats in deep sea water for fishing and earning livelihood is the traditional business of a Konkani man. Basically a konkani man is very determined possessing immense self confidence. These qualities make him very competitive and challenging in terms of completing the tasks undertaken by him. On grounds of these qualities, perseverance and  hard work, Mr. Keshav Budhaji Koli aka Nakhavaji, a native of Mauje kanthavali from Uran taluka of Raigad district stepped into the business of fishing 25 years ago and succeeded to launch Sasoon Dock Fisheries Cooperative society in Uran taluka.

Located at around 55 kms from Mumbai, Kanthavali Dighoda is a village in the Raigad district where Shri Keshav Koli Naqwa stared his fishing business in the creek there. Keshav Koli Nakhwa, who was deprived of primary education due to financial circumstances, in 2000, under the guidance of his friend Latif Maldar, the then Agriculture Minister Shri. Sharad Pawar provided financial help for the mechanized boats for fishing business, and with the help of 37 mechanical boats, they launched fishing and the processing industry of different types of fish at the same time. Through this enterprise he provided employment to various natives of his village. This business was a huge success fetching profit of crores to the company. Meanwhile, Sasoon Dock Fishery Co-operative Society was established in the year 1993-94from Keshavji's initiative. In order to get a permanent source of income to the members of the society, Government of Maharashtra had decided to form a group of members for the construction of mechanized fishing boats under the scheme of National Cooperative Development Corporation and to provide financial support to them. And accordingly, under the same scheme,  the member groups got a financial assistance of 15 lakh rupees for the sustainance of their Fisheries business.

On the journey of fishing boats in deep sea, the problem of diesel was created.  In addition, the need for ice to retain the fishes in the sea was also realised. To resolve these problems, Keshavji arranged for diesel distribution through other companies' diesel pumps at Sasoon Dock. Also there were frequent difficulties for getting the right quality weighed and cost-effective ice from the ice factories outside Mumbai. Hence Keshavji opened an ice factory and cold storage facility in Dighoda village.

Keshavji started the fish processing industry since 2007, keeping in mind the objective of expanding the fisheries business. For the first time in the country's co-operative sector, the 57-ton capacity machinery and 1200 tonne cold storage project was setup. And through this same project, export of sea prawns, cattle fish, surmai, promphet and fin fish to 32 different countries including China, Thailand, Indonesia, New York, Japan and Malaysia became possible from the  Raigad district of Maharashtra which helped our nation earn foreign currency ,this goes to the credit of Keshavjis hardwork and perseverance.

After the success of the last 25 years of fishing and fish processing industry, the Sasoon dock company has again taken a new leap. Recently, 'Surimi Benefication project' has been launched in Dighoda village at the auspices of the company's Silver Jubliee. Under the Union Agriculture ministry the National Cooperative Development Corporation New Delhi and Goverment of Maharashtra's combined funding 100% export promotiinal " Surmai Benefication project" was inaugurated at Kanthali Dighoda with an annual capacity of 5000 Metric Tonnes .
Surmai is a very good source of proteins in ones meal. This is an ambitious project of this organization. Through this ambitious project the flesh of the fish is scientifically processed and it is exported in large quantities to various countries. Of course, through this project, the newly acquired Agri Koli has got employment and the country is also experiencing a flow of foreign currency within the country.
Keshav Nakhawa, who has been able to foster fishing, as a sailor from  a small village  is a proud role model for every new businessman who is excited about the fish industry and is doing something new in the field of fisheries.ENDS