Andhra Pradesh is the leading Indian State for fish production and consumption. It has a rich resource-base of water bodies, both inland freshwater and coastal marine or brackish waters that maintain a sizeable fishery forming the basis of living of more than 1.63 lakh fishermen.
The Karam Chand Thapar (KCT) group in collaboration with ICAR-Central Institute Brackish water Aquaculture (CIBA), Chennai has established Community Development Centre for Learning, Livelihood and Research (CDC-LLR) at Bhimavaram, West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. A state-of-the-art aquaculture diagnostic laboratory, established under this partnership was inaugurated by Dr. K.K. Vijayan, Director, ICAR-CIBA.
Dr. Vijayan in his inaugural address highlighted that CSR partnership with research institutions such as CIBA could benefit farmers in getting access to quality and affordable diagnostic services, required for aqua farming in the state. CIBA has already launched Vanami Shrimpapp, a mobile app for this purpose and results of the diagnostic services could be sent through this app, he added. He said CIBA has also developed a system to issue soil and water health cards to the farmers through the KCT labs.
Shri.P.Koteeswara Rao, Additional Director of Fisheries, Andhra Pradesh appreciated the role of CIBA in providing standard operating protocols and novel diagnostics to the lab and hailed the model of corporate research partnership in delivering quality diagnostic services to the farmers.
Shri Ramakanth Akula, CEO, the Waterbase Limited emphasized that the strategic partnership with CIBA is a natural alliance to serve the aqua farmers without any commercial interest, and the next lab will be established in the state of Gujarat, followed by West Bengal. Few farmers of Bhimavaram region received soil and water health card on this occasion.
