ICAR-CIBA celebrated the National Farmers Day with the fishers, tribal farmers and fisheries students at Muttukadu Experimental Station, Muttukadu, Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu. National Farmers Day (Rastriya Kisan Diwas) is celebrated on 23rd December every year in the honour of Chaudhary Charan Singh who was a popular kisan leader and former Prime Minister of India. About 120 farmers, students, scientists and staff of CIBA participated in the programme. In his presidential address Dr. K.P. Jithendran, Director, CIBA, sensitized the participants about the employment opportunities in fisheries and aquaculture especially for youth and students by utilizing the efficient brackishwater aquaculture technologies using the vast stretches of brackishwater resources. He also highlighted the importance of cleanliness, sanitation and hygiene among students and farmers. Dr. Kannappan, Principal Scientist, CIBA, highlighted the ongoing demonstration and research activities carried out at Kovalam Experimental Station of CIBA, Kovalam. He also explained to the students and farmers about the opportunities which are available for conducting the demonstration and experiments at KES of CIBA.
Dr. P.Mahalakshmi, Principal Scientist and Nodal Officer of Swachh Bharat Mission ICAR-CIBA highlighted the importance of National Farmers Day. She briefed about the Swachh Bharat Mission and highlighted the importance of recycling of fish and domestic waste to avoid infections and diseases. She also narrated the demonstration and extension activities conducted in various coastal states by ICAR-CIBA for tribal and coastal communities towards enhancing their livelihood and socio-economic status. Shri. K.P. Sandeep, Scientist, CIBA, explained the protocol for recycling of fish wastes to value added products and their usage in commercial aquaculture, agriculture and their marketing potential.
Shri. T. Kennit Raj, fish entrepreneur and proprietor of M/s. V.S. Fish Waste Hydrolysate, Kasimedu and Nammbikkai Fishers Group, Pattinapakkam, Chennai Tamil Nadu, shared his experience about the establishment of fish waste processing unit under the technical guidance and support of CIBA for the production of CIBA-Planktonplus and CIBA HortiPlus, value added products by recycling of fish waste. He also cherished the efforts of CIBA in promoting of waste to wealth as an alternative livelihood activity for the fishers in their village. He expressed that their group received “Best Fisheries Self Help Group-2020” award from the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India because of CIBA-Planktonplus and CIBA HortiPlus technologies. At the end of the meeting, CIBA staff distributed the housework and swachh related materials to tribal families for cleaning their premises. The meeting concluded with the vote of thanks by Mr. N. Jagan Mohan Raj, Technical Officer, CIBA.
