5th – 6th October 2024, Goa
ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute organised farmer-scientist interface programmes at five locations in Uttara Kannada (Kumta and Honnavar) and Udupi (Maravanthe, Kundapura, and Brahmavara) coastal districts of Karnataka from 5th – 6th October 2024.
Dr Parveen Kumar, Director, ICAR-CCARI, also graced the occasion.
The team explored potential sites for goat farming, fish farming, and agro-eco-tourism in Kumta, offering recommendations for the development of these units. They visited the cage culture facilities in Honnavar, discussing operational challenges, water quality, and feed management. A package detailing practices for piggery, poultry, and duck farming was shared with the cage farmers, who expressed interest in diversifying their agricultural activities. Additionally, fishing operations, including catch, landings, transport, preservation, and packaging, were monitored and documented at the Maravanthe fishing harbor, where the team also addressed the challenges faced by fishermen and fisherwomen.
A field demonstration of seabass polyculture was launched in Kundapura with the stocking of seabass seeds. Proposed sites for cage culture were inspected along the Panchagangavali estuary, and resources such as vegetable seeds, veterinary medicines, feed supplements, and livestock farming leaflets were distributed. Suggestions for refining Aseel bird unit practices were made, and farmers were encouraged to adopt climate-resilient goat breeds.
The team visited an integrated fish farming unit in Brahmavara, where the farmer engages in multi-species culture, including seabass, murrel, and various carp. The farm also supplies fish seeds to local farmers and grows coconut, arecanut, spices, fruits, and vegetables, alongside a small dairy unit with four cows. The farmer advised to develop the farm as a fish-based agro-tourism model and a training center for local farmers.
The interface covered a total of 80 farmers/fishermen, including 20 SC and 20 women farmers in the region involved in agriculture and allied farming activities.
(Source: ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Goa)
Read more: https://icar.org.in/farmer-scientist-interface-coastal-karnataka
