ICAR-CIBA has developed two quality cost effective indigenous eco-friendly products, branded as CIBA-PlanktonPlus and HortiPlus, from fish-waste of fish markets and Fish trimming from fish processing units, to boost and maintain the healthy plankton bloom in aquaculture systems and as an organic manure for agriculture/horticulture. The products are developed under the concept “waste to wealth” in Swachh Bharat initiatives of Govt. of India. PlanktonPlus has proven its efficiency in various aquaculture systems for different species. This technology has been transferred to ‘Nambikkai Fish Farmers Group’, Nambikkai Nagar, Chennai, through start-up India programme, Agri-business incubator. CIBA provides the necessary hand-holding and training to the Nambikkai Fish Farmers Group on production and marketing of PlanktonPlus and HortiPlus.
The institute has ‘Fish-Waste to Wealth’ unit at Chennai for the production of PlanktonPlus and HortiPlus from fish waste sourced from fish markets. Production capacity of the small scale Fish-Waste to Wealth unit is 2000 L/month. Annual turnover of one unit is Rs.16.80 lakhs with net profit of Rs.4.56 lakhs. Nambikkai Fish Farmers Group, Nambikkai Nagar, Chennai is producing PlanktonPlus and HortiPlus using Fish-waste sourced from locals, and Processed at the Start-up Unit established by CIBA.
Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR along with Director and other dignitaries from the Institute visited the ‘Fish-Waste to Wealth’ start-up unit on 7th August, 2019. An Interactive Meet with the Nambikkai Fish Farmers Group was organized at the unit. Secretary (DARE) and DG, ICAR listened to the various activities and issues concerning fish-waste processing technology and its product from the representative among the group members. The DG, ICAR urged the scientists to focus more on implementation and widespread and nationwide dissemination of this technology developed for better adoption among regional, state and national user groups.
Dr. K.K.Vijayan, Director outlined the genesis and advantages of the technology in aquaculture. Shri.T. Kennit Raj, representative of Nambikkai Fish Farmers Group has expressed their happiness about the upliftment of their socio-economic status through this technology. They appreciated the genuine efforts for promoting “waste to wealth” concept as an alternative livelihood activity for the fishers in their village. This technology has the potential in cleaning the fish markets across the country and also in providing alternative livelihood to produce wealth from waste as a concept of the circular economy.
