ICAR-CIFT handholds budding fishery entrepreneurs by launching Mini Fish Processing Unit and Custom Hiring Centre

 Inauguration of training programme by Zilla Panchayat Member

In an attempt to bring cheers to the budding fishery entrepreneurs, ICAR-CIFT, Cochin  launched a Mini Fish Processing Unit and Custom Hiring Centre at Kadamakkudy village, near Varappuzha, Ernakulam on 13 February, 2019, in a function attended by budding entrepreneurs, people’s representatives, Kudumbasree members, teachers and students of VHSC, Kadamakkudy and scientists from ICAR-CIFT. The Processing Unit and Custom Hiring Centre are output of the fishery entrepreneurship project started by ICAR-CIFT at Kadamakkudy in 2017. On this occasion, two fish dryers of 10 kg capacity each and two sets of Mini Fish Processing Unit consisting of 21 implements each, were handed over to the PTA of VHSC, Kadamakkudy. In order to run the Mini Fish Processing Unit successfully and sustainably, a Custom Hiring Centre was opened under a Management Committee headed by PTA President of VHSC, Kadamakkudy. Under this novel idea of establishing Custom Hiring Centre (CHC) for fish entrepreneurship development, any budding entrepreneur can avail the facility of using the implements for fish processing at a very nominal rent fixed by the Management Committee. The CHC is supposed to manage its own bank account and would sustain its expenses towards electricity, repair of implements and transportation charges from the rent received through custom hiring of implements. ICAR-CIFT is also providing marketing support to young fish entrepreneurs through its ATIC sales centre and exhibition stalls set up all over the country.

As Chief Guest of the function, Smt. Sona Jayaraj, Member, Zilla Panchayat inaugurated the programme and lauded the efforts of ICAR-CIFT for fish-preneurship development among the small scale fishers. She assured to extendall possible support of Zilla Panchayat for the entrepreneurship building activities of ICAR-CIFT. Presiding over the programme, Dr.  Ravishankar C.N., Director, ICAR-CIFT informed that by 2020, ICAR-CIFT will be coming up with a sustainable EDP model for fish-preneurship development among the rural youths and fisher women of the state, which can be replicated all over the country under similar situations. Dr. A.K. Mohanty, Head, EIS Division and Project Investigator informed that ICAR-CIFT has also taken initiative for conducting studies on market feasibility and consumers’ behavior towards fish-based food products and gender roles in fish entrepreneurship among the stakeholders at Kadamakkudy and surrounding areas. The ICAR-CIFT team comprising of Dr. George Ninan, Dr. S. Ashaletha, Dr. M.V. Sajeev, Dr. P.K. Binsi, Dr. K. Rejula, Dr. P. Jeyanthi and Smt. P.V. Alfiya co-ordinated a training programme on fish drying using the ICAR-CIFT dryer participated by 35 budding fishery entreprenuers. The efforts of ICAR-CIFT received wide appreciation from budding entrepreneurs, Kudumbasree members and peoples’ representatives alike.
 

Handing over of Mini Processing Unit items by Director, ICAR-CIFT