ICAR-CIFT & ICICI Foundation Collaborate on Rural Fishery, Livelihood security

The ICAR-CIFT (Central Institute of Fisheries Technology) and the ICICI Foundation have joined forces to ensure maximum exploitation of rural resources, particularly in the area of fisheries, for rural livelihood security. The ICICI Foundation, the ICICI Group's CSR arm, is working with 10,000 farmers in Kerala's Alappuzha district to develop an integrated fisheries value chain initiative. The beneficiaries, who are local fishermen, would benefit from improved food quality and quantity, as well as economic opportunities and encouragement of sustainable practices.

The Foundation's goal is to promote sustainable livelihoods by expanding value chains and focusing on market connections, collaboration with government agencies, capacity building, and other activities. The initiatives are organized around four strategic pillars: scarcity, excess, inclusiveness, and environmental protection.

CIFT will provide all technical training, advice, and support to the project's designated beneficiaries as part of its function.

MOU Signed

Suketu Kumar, Programme Head, ICICI Foundation, and Leela Edwin, Director, ICAR-CIFT, signed an MOU in Kochi to make the project operational. Leela Edwin emphasized the importance of carrying out the project in an environmentally friendly and holistic manner.

With CIFT and CUSAT as technical partners, the ICICI Foundation's fish value chain project will be implemented initially in Alappuzha's Pattanakkadu and Thykkattusserry block Panchayaths, with a focus on improving fish cultivation, practices through scientific practices, incremental income through value-added products, providing market access, and establishing micro-enterprises.

Value Chain Management in Fisheries:

The Value Chain in fisheries is used as a managerial tool to reduce processing costs and improve the quality and productivity of the product and minimize distribution costs. There are many advantages of studying the value chain in fisheries such as increasing the producers ‘share, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the actors, quality assurance in product development consumer satisfaction, etc.

The value chain approach is a useful practical tool for assessing the status of the development of fisheries and aquaculture. It also analyses opportunities and constraints for future development. It is useful for the key stakeholders such as fishers, managers, and policymakers towards streamlining their activities in a cost-effective way.