Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 16 February 2025
The three-day training programme on ‘Fish Value Addition,’ organized by the Department of Fisheries in collaboration with Dr. B R Ambedkar Institute of Technology (DBRAIT), Dollygunj, concluded successfully on February 15, 2025, at the AV Hall, DBRAIT.
Ms. Jyoti Kumari, IAS, Secretary (Fisheries), graced the valedictory session as the chief guest. Addressing the gathering, she lauded the participation of Islanders in the initiative and emphasized that the programme aligns with the broader developmental goals of the Andaman & Nicobar Administration in marine resource utilization, seafood processing, and marketing. Encouraging the trainees, she urged them to leverage the skills acquired during the training to establish their own business ventures. She also appreciated the Department of Fisheries and the Hotel Management Department of DBRAIT for their efforts in promoting entrepreneurship in fisheries and seafood processing.
Ms. Jagtap Kalyani Rajendra, Director of Fisheries, motivated the participants to explore self-employment opportunities by setting up mobile seafood vans, seafood kiosks, and value-added processing units. She highlighted the financial assistance available under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), where the Fisheries Department provides a subsidy of 60% for women applicants and 40% for the general category to support these enterprises.
During the session, trainees shared their experiences and feedback, expressing gratitude for the comprehensive theoretical and practical training. They conveyed their interest in establishing ventures such as Dry Fish Units, Fish Pickling Units, Coated Fish Product Units, and Frozen/Chilled Fish Units. The Secretary (Fisheries) distributed Certificates of Participation to the trainees to mark the successful completion of the programme.
Apart from hands-on training in fish value-added product preparation, a special awareness session was conducted with officials from the Industries Department, Food Safety Department, and Cooperative Department. The session focused on schemes related to food processing, the registration of food service establishments, and the significance of cooperative societies.
Dr. V. Alagusundaram, Head of the Computer Science and Engineering Department, DBRAIT, Dr. K. Gopal, Joint Director (Fisheries), and Mr. S.U. Maheswar Rao, Governing Body Member of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), also addressed the gathering and shared their insights on the importance of value addition in the fisheries sector.
The training programme concluded on an optimistic note, with participants looking forward to applying their newfound knowledge to enhance the fisheries industry in the islands.