A three-day long online training on ‘Hygienic handling and product development from fish’ was organized by ICAR-CIFT Veraval Research Centre, Gujarat in joint collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Uttarakhand for the benefit of fish farmers from Garhwal Mandal, Uttarakhand. The programme was virtually graced by the honourable MP, Tehri Garhwal Smt. Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah as the Chief Guest of the programme in presence of Sri. H. K. Purohit, Joint Director, Department of Fisheries Uttarakhand as the Guest of Honour; Dr Ravishankar C.N., Director ICAR-CIFT; Sri C. G. Joshi Deputy Director (Fisheries), Sri. Jagdamba, Assistant Director (Fisheries) and many other dignitaries.
Inaugurating the programme, the Chief Guest, Smt. Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Hon’ble MP, Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha Constituency, Uttarakhand in her address outlined the nutritional importance of fish for addressing the malnutrition problems lying particularly with children and women in Indian society and appreciated the efforts of Department of Fisheries, Uttarakhand to foster a collaboration with ICAR-CIFT, Cochin to make use of their innovative research on fish value addition and hygienic handling. She complimented the efforts of scientists in ICAR-CIFT Veraval Research Centre to join hands with Department of Fisheries, Uttarakhand for arranging an appropriate capacity building programme to train the fisher folk of Uttarakhand on fish value addition which may help in income enhancement and employment generation.
In his presidential address, Dr. C. N. Ravishankar, the Director ICAR-CIFT emphasized the commitment of ICAR-CIFT towards the livelihood security of fisher community by utilizing its enterprising technologies in fish processing. He also briefed the Hon’ble MP about the accomplishments of the institute in addressing various problems in harvest and post-harvest realm in Indian fisheries and said that it is the need of hour to make the research more people centric which can make the life of farmers better. He also assured the Department of Fisheries, Uttarakhand to extend all possible support in hand holding the fishery stakeholders of Uttarakhand in improved fishing and fish processing.
The Guest of Honour Sri. H.K. Purohit Joint Director, Department of Fisheries, Uttarakhand highlighted the work done by the department for the development of the sector in Uttarakhand and expressed his happiness over the partnership with ICAR-CIFT through signing of MoU, which will strengthen the fishery sector of the state. The programme was attended virtually by many officials from Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Uttarakhand, ICAR-CIFT scientists from its three research centres including headquarters at Cochin and more than 60 fishers from Tehri Garhwal. The welcome address was offered by Dr Asish Ku Jha, Scientist- In Charge and vote of thanks was extended by Dr Anupama T, Scientist, ICAR-CIFT Veraval Research Centre.
