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Dr. P. Jayasankar, Director
January-March 2012 period has been eventful for CIFA. In a bid to prioritize research agenda for the next five years (2012-17) the institute organized National Consultation and Stakeholder meet on 30 January 2012 to underscore the message “farmers should be at the driver’s seat in matters related to agricultural and allied sector development”. Farmers, the end users of research outputs, must have a say in deciding research priorities. Despite having several narrowly focused research projects, the institute proposes to have one flagship project with clear focus, integrating disciplines to generate such technologies as would be relevant to bring about a breakthrough in the existing and emerging scenario. The flagship project would also aim at reducing yield gap between research farm and farmers’ field. Representatives from farming community, industry, state line departments and R&D institutions as well as eminent aquaculture experts participated in the deliberations. To promote freshwater aquaculture in Mizoram through provision of enabling technologies, training programmes, demonstrations, and other critical inputs, the Institute had organized a training programme on ‘Aquaculture for Entrepreneurship Development in Mizoram’ in collaboration with KVK, Mamit during 1-3 February 2012 at Lengpui. The training programme was inaugurated by Hon’ble Secretary DARE & Director General ICAR Dr. S. Ayyappan. Programme coordinators of all 7 KVKs of the state were represented in addition to Subject Matter Specialists, and other staff members. I had an opportunity to visit Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia from 5 to 10 February to participate in International workshop under the AqASEM09 (Asia−Europe Meeting Aquaculture Platform). The visit gave me an insight into the emerging gender issues in development - barriers in aquaculture, gender analysis tools: livelihood analysis, development context, stakeholder analysis, empowering vulnerable stakeholders, gender mainstreaming and budgeting, gender disaggregated data, scaling up, best practices in aquaculture food production, etc. A face to face interaction meet with stakeholders was held at Field Station of CIFA, Kalyani on 21 February, 2012. Prior to the event DDG (FY.), ICAR Dr. (Mrs.) B. Meenakumari inaugurated four facilities (i) Dr. Hiralal Chaudhury Hall, (ii) High Value Indigenous Fish Bank, (iii) Pabda Hatchery Complex and (iv) Vehicle Parking lot. The National Conference on ‘Aquaculture – Fish for Billion’ held on 16-17 February in commemoration of Silver Jubilee Year was attended by practically the entire ‘who is who’ in fisheries and aquaculture! The Conference was inaugurated by Sri Ramesh Chandra Majhi, Fisheries and Science & Technology Minister, Odisha. Several relevant issues in freshwater aquaculture, including water scarcity, food & nutritional security, need for multidisciplinary and multidepartment approach to address aquaculture development, and other thematic issues, such as broodstock up-gradation and quality seed production, species & system diversification, fish feed, disease diagnostics, health management, extension, post-harvest and marketing were discussed. On 23 March CIFA and the Odisha State Fisheries Department have signaled the beginning of much-waited ‘National Freshwater fish Brood bank Facility’ in the Kausalyaganga farm of the latter by starting reconnaissance survey.
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