Dr.Trilochan Mohapatra, the Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education visited the ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai on 6th and 7th August 2017 and had interactions with the scientists and staff. On the first day, 6th evening he visited the research facilities at Muttukadu Experimental Station of CIBA and interacted with the scientists on the ongoing research programmes on breeding and seed production of finfishes, shrimps and mudcrab. He had indepth discussion regarding the genetic stocks, breeding protocols and asked to focus on the prioritized programmes, taking the requirement of the developmental needs of the brackishwater sector. He distributed hatchery produced seabass fish seeds to farmers from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Women SHGs from Tamil Nadu.
He witnessed the formulated pelletized feed making process in the CIBA’s experimental feed mill and interacted with the scientists working on live feed, referral aquatic animal health lab and wet laboratory facilities. Dr.Joykrushna Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries) accompanied the DG and apprised him about CIBA’s contribution to the sector. On the forenoon of second day (August 7, 2017) DG along with DDG (Fisheries) visited National Referral Laboratory for Aquatic Animal Health, soil and water quality, reproductive biology, genetics and biotechnology laboratories, Agricultural Knowledge Management Unit, Institute Technology Management Unit and on-line learning facility established at the CIBA library and interacted with research scholars and scientist at the lab.
At the last part of his visit, DG had an interaction meeting with the scientists, technical and administrative staff of CIBA and Madras Research Centre of Central Marine Research Institute (MRC of CMFRI). In the meeting DDG (Fisheries) had briefed the DG about the brackishwater aquaculture sector in terms its contribution to fish production, export earnings and the role played by CIBA in addressing the issues of the sector. Dr.K.K.Vijayan, Director, CIBA highlighted the salient achievements of the institute, focusing on the technological backstopping role of CIBA in taking up the brackishwater aquaculture forward, especially in the areas of species diversification, feed development and health management. He also presented the way forward for the sector. DG also released a DNA based diagnostic kit for the screening of EHP disease in shrimp, for the benefit of shrimp farmers in the country, books on CIBA Technologies and FAQs on Shrimp farming in Hindi language.
DG, in his address, congratulated the Director and scientists of CIBA for the achievements. He appreciated CIBA’s track record in terms of commercialization of viable technologies to the benefit of brackishwater aquaculture development in the country. He further suggested to consolidate the impact of technologies transferred to the sector, and also to document the startups established based on the CIBA’s technologies. He, further emphasized that CIBA should take lead role in establishing and promoting brackishwater aquaculture in inland saline areas in landlocked states, with suitable technologies to make the hitherto unproductive areas to become productive.
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