Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR CIFT)

International training programme under FTF-ITT concludes at CIFT, Cochin

Chief Guest Shri S. Dave, delivering the address

ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology has played crucial role in sustaining the sea food export Industry of India, observed by Chief Guest Shri.Sanjay Dave, Member, Scientific Advisory Committee, Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).While speakingonthe valedictory function of the fifteen-day international training programme organised by ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) “Recent Trends in Harvest and Post- Harvest Technologies in Fisheries” at Cochin, he said that the European Union has imposed a ban on seafood products from India due to nonconformity to EU directives on quality standards and monitoring. The expertise of ICAR-CIFT was sought to formulate and implement hygiene and quality parameters across the cold value chain in fisheries. The consistenteffort played by ICAR-CIFT along with other agencies like Export Inspection Council (EIC) and Marine Product Export Development Agency (MPEDA)has helped to lift the ban on December 23, 1997. Any effort to promote seafood business will be futile unless hygiene and food safety aspects are properly considered, he added.

Twenty-two executives representing six African countries namely Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Sudan and Uganda and two Asian countries namely Afghanistan and Mongolia indicating a wide range of cultural diversity and more or less similar biological multiplicity, participated in the training which was the 11th in the series of the ‘Feed the Future India Triangular Training (FTT-ITT) programme’. It is a triangular cooperation between India, US and Africa for adapting technological advances and innovative solutions to address Global Food Security. The joint initiative is funded by USAID, India representing US Government and coordinated by National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India. The participants were exposed to innovations in various areas like harvesting technologies, value addition, quality assurance, drying equipment apart from nutritional aspects and microbial issues related to fish consumption. Also, the participants were informed about the institutional and social aspects of Indian fisheries sector. Unlike the routine training programmes, the implementation of the new learnings into action will be monitored by CIFT through a back at work plan.

Participants from various countries have expressed keen interest to take technologies developed by CIFT like descaling machine, chilled preservation, silage making, solar drying etc. to their countries. They have also shown interest in replicating the extension approaches for dissemination of technologies among fisher folks in their respective countries

Dr.C.N.Ravishankar, Director, ICAR-CIFT presided over the function and spelt about the importance of the FTF-ITT programme for bringing nutritional security and livelihood sustainability of millions of fisher population all over the world. Dr. Chandrasekhara, Director, MANAGE,Hyderabad briefed about the ‘Feed the Future India Triangular Training’ Programme and narrated some country experiences to realise the learning experiences into action. Dr.A.K.Mohanty, Head EIS Division presented the report of the training programme. Dr.Suseela Mathew, Head, Biochemistry and Nutrition Division welcomed the audience and Dr. Leela Edwin, Head Fishing Technology Division offered vote of thanks.