At CIBA Headquarters in Chennai, “Phone-in-Programme (PiP)” a novel connectivity platform through mobile phones was organized wherein 68 fish farmers/fisherfolk/technicians brackishwater aquaculture farmers interacted with subject matter specialists through on-line on the various subject of “Sea bass, milkfish, Pearl spot Culture and its Farm Management Practices”, shrimp culture, crab fattening, feeds and feed management, soil & water, disease aspect with special reference to prevention of White feces disease, seaweed in fish culture, training, subsidy, and economic aspects. About 77 queries were answered in their vernacular languages. Dr.K.K.Vijayan, Director, CIBA underlined the importance of induced breeding in fishes and shrimps which paved the way for assured seed supply and sustainable aquaculture development in the country. He enunciated that reaching out to farmers is important during this period and ICT aided tools like PiP facilitates the bi-directional communication of technical information to the farmers and field issues to the scientists respectively. Dr.D.Deboral Vimala, Principal Scientist, Social Sciences Division & Nodal Scientist PiP coordinated the event.
CIBA-Navsari Gujarat Research Centre celebrated the National fish farmers’ day at its Brackishwater Aquaculture Research and Development farm (NGRC-BARD farm), in Matwad village, Navsari, Gujarat. Shri. C. R. Patil, Honourable Member of Parliament, Navsari was the Chief Guest and the Member of Parliament was pleased to understand that through technological interventions of NGRC CIBA, the Women Self-Help Group generated a revenue of 5 lakhs during 2019-20. He distributed milkfish fingerlings raised by the SHG members to ten shrimp farmers wherein milkfishes are stocked along with shrimps for water quality management. A small exhibition was organised during the function to create awareness among farmers on candidate brackishwater aquaculture finfish species. The program at NGRC was coordinated by Mr. Pankaj Patil, Officer in Charge along with Shri Jose Antony and Shri Tanveer Hussain, Scientists NGRC Navsari.
Similarly, Kakdwip Research Centre (KRC) of ICAR-CIBA celebrated the National Fish Farmers’ Day alongwith aqua farmers and fishers from Kakdwip, Namkhana, Patharpratima and Raidighi of South 24 Parganas, Sundarban. KRC -CIBA Scientists sensitized them to achieve the increased national fish productivity through group approach from unutilized water resources through environment-friendly culture models such as Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), scientific pond culture, disease management, Multiple Stocking and Multiple Harvesting (MSMH) system and integrated fish farming with livestock and horticulture for generating extra revenue. To promote Hilsa fish farming in the Sundarban region, KRC CIBA farm produced fingerlings of Hilsa were distributed to farmers for demonstration of grow-out culture at their farms. Dr. Debasis De, Principal Scientist and Officer-in-Charge and other scientists of KRC-CIBA organized the programme at Kakdwip.
