ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin signs MoU with Department of Fisheries , Government of Himachal Pradesh

Exchange of MoU between Shri Gurucharan Singh and Dr. C.N. Ravishankar

ICAR- Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin signed a MoU with Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh for setting up of canning and fish processing unit with the technical consultancy of ICAR-CIFT on 9^th January, 2017 in presence of Shri Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Hon'ble Minister of Forest and Fisheries, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh. Gracing the occasion Shri Thakur Singh Bharmouri lauded the role of ICAR-CIFT scientists to bring an euphoria among the fisher population of the state through their scientific interventions and said that the MoU will strengthen the linkage between ICAR-CIFT and Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh to go ahead in fishery sector development. In his presidential address Dr. C.N. Ravishankar, Director, ICAR-CIFT briefed the accomplishments of the Institute since its inception and citing the example of Himachal Pradesh asked for the cooperation of the line departments of other states to address the problems in harvesting and post harvesting sectors of fisheries across the country.

Shri Gurcharan Singh, Director, Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh appreciated the prompt and timely initiatives by ICAR-CIFT for taking up field survey and situation analysis on status of fishery in Himachal Pradesh, which enabled them to formulate policy strategy for the development of the sector. According to him Himachal Pradesh is the leading state in trout production and Dept. of Fisheries, HP is taking all the efforts to increase the production of other cultivable varieties of fishes as per the recommendation of ICAR- CIFT.

Dr. K. Ashok Kumar, Head, Fish processing Division stated that as per the MoU, ICAR-CIFT will provide the details like design of processing units, procurement of equipments and training of Fisheries Department officials and fishermen on processing and value addition. Processing units will be constructed at Gobind Sagar, Pong, Solan and Una. For implementing this, Department of Fisheries, Himachal Pradesh has transferred Rs. 82.2 lakhs to ICAR-CIFT. Dr. George Ninan, Principal Scientist & Principal Investigator for Agri-Business Incubation Centre at ICAR-CIFT and Shri Gurucharan Singh, Director cum Warden, Department of Fisheries, Himachal Pradesh signed the MoU in presence of Shri Thakur Singh Bharmouri and  Dr. Ravishankar, C.N., Director, ICAR-CIFT.

Shri Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Hon'ble Minister of Forest and Fisheries addressing the gathering