Exhorts scientists of CMFRI and CIFT to help improve fishermen’s lives
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu has emphasized the need for enhancing access to credit, developing cold chains and good upcountry market linkages, and providing better infrastructure for post-harvest storage, handling and value addition. Speaking at an event at Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) in Visakhapatnam, he added “Ultimately, government efforts should be complemented by greater R&D support from the research institutes, increased private investment in fish and shrimp hatcheries, and establishment of aquaculture estates, feed mills and ancillary industries”, he added.
P”lease remember that the research conducted by you should translate into improving the lives of fishermen and benefit them, he told the scientists of CMFRI and CIFT. Appreciating the farmers for the record food grain output during the pandemic, Naidu said “I salute the farmers including the fish farmers.” The Vice President asked the research institutes to encourage the small fishermen to adopt modern sustainable practices through innovative marine fish cultures and better extension programmes.
Opining that with growing awareness about the health benefits of fish, and with the right inputs and technologies, he said that fish farming can become more lucrative in the coming years and lift the millions dependent on it out of poverty. That is the real objective of the ’Blue Revolution’ initiative, he underlined. Stating that our long coastline should be our strength and not our weakness, Naidu called for exploring the waters once again, confidently, to feed our own people and as a leader and net security provider in the region.
