C.N. Ravishankar, Director, ICAR-CIFT inaugurating the programme

 

Clam picking and processing is an important livelihood practice of small scale fishers in Keralawhere ICAR-CIFT, Cochin has made a timely intervention through PPP mode in collaboration with the Perumbalam Panchayat and Haritha Farmers’ Club, Perumbalam; opined by  Dr. Ravishankar C.N., Director, ICAR-CIFT while inaugurating the clam processing facility centre at Perumbalam village in Cherthala, Alappuzha on 8 January 2018. He said, through this effort emphasis has also been given on conservation of small sized clams as a part of responsible fishing.

 

This facility has been established under a Department of Science & Technology, GOI funded project and is a first of its kind in Perumbalam which is being implemented with the help ofPerumbalam Panchayat and Haritha Farmers’ Club, Perumbalam. The facility will benefit around 200 fisher families in the village who depend on clam picking and processing for their livelihoods. The project was based on a diagnostic study undertaken by the Institute in 2010, where the possibility of clustering the clam fishers and scientifically streamlining the processing activity which is now based at the homestead level was identified. The project was initiated in May 2015 and during the first phase clusters of fisherwomen and fishermen have been formed and the clusters have been trained in improved methods of processing clam.In the next phase, the construction of the clam processing facility was undertaken. The facility will have the process line for hygienically processing the harvested clam. 

 

The inaugural programme was presided over by Shri. K.S.Shibu, Present Perumabalm Panchayat, who offered continued support or the project implementation.   Dr. Nikita Gopal, Principal Investigator of the project presented the details of the project implementation. Ward Members Shri. P.D. Sajeev, Smt. ShobhanaChakrapani, Shri. K. A. Jayakumar, Perumbalam Coir Society President Shri. P.T.Ajayan offered felicitations. Shri. S. Sreejith, Scientist, CIFT and Co-PI of the project welcomed the gathering and Shri. Anoop Raj, Facilitator, Haritha Farmers’ Club proposed the vote of thanks.

 

Director, ICAR-CIFT delivering the inaugural address