{"id":17411,"date":"2026-01-20T16:19:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T10:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/?p=17411"},"modified":"2026-01-20T16:19:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T10:49:44","slug":"dr-abhilaksh-likhi-secretary-department-of-fisheries-visits-icar-ciba-chennai-and-interacts-with-shrimp-farmers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/?p=17411","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Visits ICAR-CIBA, Chennai and Interacts with Shrimp Farmers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Visits ICAR-CIBA, Chennai and Interacts with Shrimp Farmers<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n


\nGovernment of India\u2019s focus on indigenous technology development, climate-smart aquaculture, and efficient resource utilisation<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Posted On: 19 JAN 2026 5:22PM by PIB Delhi<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India, visited the Indian Council of Agricultural Research \u2013 Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (ICAR\u2013CIBA) and its Muttukadu Experimental Station in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, today.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As part of his field engagement, the Secretary interacted with shrimp farmers and entrepreneurs, who shared their success stories, best practices, and challenges encountered at various stages of production, processing, and marketing.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Likhi also visited the\u00a0Penaeus indicus<\/em>\u00a0Genetic Improvement Programme site being implemented by ICAR\u2013CIBA under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). The programme aims to strengthen scientific shrimp breeding in the country through the development of genetically improved stocks of Indian white shrimp (P. indicus<\/em>).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Secretary interacted with ICAR\u2013CIBA scientists and inspected several research facilities, including finfish, crustacean, ornamental fish, and crab units, as well as the feed mill. The visit provided firsthand exposure to the diverse research, development, and innovation activities being undertaken in the field of brackishwater aquaculture.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The visit of the Union Fisheries Secretary holds particular significance for the shrimp sector, as shrimp is India\u2019s leading seafood export commodity, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the country\u2019s total seafood exports to about 130 countries. Insights gained from direct interactions with farmers and entrepreneurs will help the Department in framing appropriate policy interventions and measures to ensure the sustained growth of the fisheries sector.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Department of Fisheries, Government of India, has undertaken several initiatives to deepen shrimp markets. Despite the imposition of a 58 percent tariff by the United States, the sector has demonstrated resilience, registering a 21 percent growth in export value and a 12 percent increase in export quantity during April\u2013October 2025.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

ICAR\u2013CIBA plays a significant role in shrimp feed development and is implementing two major PMMSY-funded projects aimed at advancing scientific aquaculture and improving resource use efficiency. The first project,\u00a0\u201cDevelopment of Indigenous Shrimp Aquaculture: Genetic Improvement Program of\u00a0Penaeus indicus<\/em>,\u201d\u00a0with a total cost of \u20b925.04 crore, focuses on developing genetically improved indigenous shrimp lines. The second project,\u00a0\u201cNew Age Shrimp System for Precise Use of Land, Water and Feed,\u201d\u00a0approved at a cost of \u20b92.21 crore, aims to promote climate-smart and resource-efficient shrimp farming models. Dr. Likhi reviewed the progress of both initiatives during the visit.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

To further strengthen India\u2019s indigenous and sustainable shrimp feed ecosystem, two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed on the sidelines of the visit in the presence of Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • The first MoU, between ICAR\u2013CIBA and\u00a0M\/s Selle Hatchery Tech, Marakkanam, pertains to the commercialisation of India\u2019s first indigenous shrimp larval feed.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  • The second MoU, between ICAR\u2013CIBA and\u00a0M\/s BRC Marine Products, Odisha, relates to the use of rice-based Rice Distillers\u2019 Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) as an affordable and sustainable protein source in shrimp feed for\u00a0Penaeus vannamei<\/em>.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    ICAR\u2013CIBA has also arranged a drone demonstration in the presence of the Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Government of India, where a live demonstration was conducted for feed spraying and transport. The application of drones in the fisheries sector is being explored, for which the Department of Fisheries has entrusted pilot projects to ICAR\u2013CIFRI, Barrackpore, Kolkata, with a project cost of \u20b91.16 crore.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Promotion of indigenous shrimp feed production<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Shrimp larval feeds currently imported at high costs have long been a constraint for hatcheries, and CIBA\u2019s focused research on larval feed formulations has led to the development of a viable indigenous alternative. The pilot scale feeds manufactured at CIBA have been successfully tested for about a year in more than fifty hatcheries across Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh through incubatee partners, demonstrating their efficacy and market potential. Encouraged by these results, M\/s. Selle Hatchery Tech will now establish a large scale production facility under the PMMSY scheme using CIBA\u2019s technology, marking a significant step toward self reliance in larval feed production.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    2. Reduce dependence on costly imports via use of rice-based DDGS as protein source in shrimp feed<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    The second MoU, signed between ICAR CIBA and M\/s. BRC Marine Products, Odisha, focuses on the use of rice based Rice Distillers\u2019 Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) as an affordable and sustainable protein source in shrimp feed for Penaeus vannamei. DDGS, a by product of rice based ethanol production, has been evaluated by ICAR CIBA as a potential substitute for costly conventional protein ingredients such as soybean meal. Laboratory studies have shown that DDGS can be included in shrimp diets at 7.5 to 10 percent without adverse effects on growth or health. In light of the promising research results, BRC Marine Products requested CIBA\u2019s technical support to undertake large scale field trials and technology transfer activities. The initiative is expected to reduce feed costs by 5 to 6 percent while promoting the use of locally available, cost effective ingredients instead of expensive imported protein sources.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    During the visit, Dr. Likhi also chaired a hybrid meeting with officials from States and Union Territories, including Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. In his address, he appreciated ICAR\u2013CIBA\u2019s contribution to national aquaculture development and emphasised the importance of coordinated efforts among research institutions, industry partners, and State governments to ensure timely and effective transfer of innovations to farmers. He highlighted the Government of India\u2019s focus on indigenous technology development, climate-smart aquaculture, and efficient resource utilisation.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    During the session, Shri Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary (Inland), DoF, Government of India; Dr. K.K. lal, Director, ICAR\u2013CIBA; and Dr. J.K. Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries), ICAR, made detailed presentations. The formal proceedings began with welcome remarks delivered virtually by Dr. B.K. Behera, Chief Executive, National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Visits ICAR-CIBA, Chennai and Interacts with Shrimp Farmers Government of India\u2019s focus on indigenous technology development, climate-smart aquaculture, and efficient resource utilisation Posted On: 19 JAN 2026 5:22PM by PIB Delhi Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India, visited the Indian Council of Agricultural …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17411"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17413,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17411\/revisions\/17413"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}