On the occasion of celebration of World Soil day, Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA)-Chennai organized Brackishwater Aquaculture Farmers Meet at B.Mutlur, village, Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu on 5th December 2018 under the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) Project. On this occasion, 104 farmers participated in the meeting, and received Soil and Water Health Cards (SWHC), on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative by CIBA. Under this concept in fisheries sector about 1035 shrimp farmers have been provided SWHCs since 2015.
During the meeting, 55 SWHCs were distributed to aqua farmers from the shrimp farming belt in the presence of Dr.M.Srinivasan, Director and Dean, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, Shri C.Subramanian, Assistant Director of Fisheries, Parangipettai, Shri Babu, RGCA (MPEDA), Sirkazhi, Dr.M. Muralidhar, Principal Scientist & PI, NICRA Project, CIBA and Dr.C.V.Sairam, Principal Scientist & Section In-Charge, Social Sciences Division, CIBA. Dr.M.Srinivasan emphasized the importance of aquaculture in food and nutritional security of the country and stressed the importance of soil health in the sustainability and profitability of the farming. The issues related to shrimp aquaculture in the changing climatic scenario, diversification of species in brackishwater aquaculture, nutrition aspects and feed development, current scenario of diseases in vannamei farming, protocols for collection and processing of soil and water samples, water and soil quality management were discussed in the farmers–scientist interactive session.