ICAR-CIBA organised Swachh Bharat-cum-Harvest Mela on “Brackishwater Homestead Farming in Mixotrophic Rearing System” at Chellam Theru village, Marakkanam, Viluppuram district of Tamil Nadu on 7th October 2022 under the SCSP scheme. About 25 women participated in the event. Dr. P.S. Shyne Anand, Senior Scientist, Crustacean Culture Division briefed them about the importance of cleanliness and maintaining hygiene in the village premises and neighbor hoods and urged the village ladies to follow the Swachh Bharat Mission for better and clean India. During the harvest mela, she highlighted that homestead farming model can help the traditional or small scale farming communities with minimum access to the intensive farming operation, to ensure their livelihood and nutritional security. During the homestead farming trials conducted in the village for the benefit of SCSP communities, the nursery reared Penaeus vannamei shrimp were stocked @ 5000 per tank in two numbers of 20 tons HDPE tanks. After 56 days of rearing an average weight of 10 g shrimps were obtained with 92% survival and the realized production was 39 kg per tank .The farmers realized an income of Rs. 16,700 in two-month culture trial. Dr. P.S. Shyne Anand, Senior Scientist, Crustacean Culture Division and Dr. B. Sivamani, Senior Scientist, Nutrition, Genetics and Biotechnology Division coordinated this programme.
