WORKSHOP: P. Ravichandran, Director in-Charge, Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (left), interacting with members of women self help groups in Chennai on Thursday. — Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

CHENNAI: Experts who addressed the inaugural session of a workshop for women self-help groups (SHGs) have stressed the need for imparting knowledge to rural women in brackish water aquaculture technologies, in view of its tremendous employment potential.

Director in-charge of the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA), P. Ravichandran, who inaugurated the three-day training programme, said the emphasis was on training members of SHGs in aquaculture so as to increase fish production.

Target groups

Elaborating on the content, he asked the trainees to take interest in involving themselves in income and employment generating activities that would substantially improve their standard of living. CIBA had trained two batches of 25 women each.

These programmes were aimed at promoting socially and economically backward sections. It was engaged in developing technologies to tap the potential of 1.2 million hectares of brackish water area in the country.

President of the Aquaculture Foundation of India, M. Sakthivel, highlighted the economic viability of women-friendly entrepreneurship programmes such as freshwater aquaculture, mud-crab culture in cages and seaweed culture in floating rafts.

He asked the trainees to utilise the opportunity to learn cost-effective technologies that would help them in substantially improving their standard of living.

SHGs in each village panchayat could earn Rs. 5 lakh per annum through freshwater prawn culture. Several export units were prepared to finance these groups for purchasing seeds, besides procuring the fish and prawns. Mud-crab culture in fibreglass cages would fetch around Rs. 2 lakh to each family.

Bank loans

Dr. Sakthivel called upon the trainees to create awareness among members of the women SHGs. Many banks offered financial assistance to the SHGs for taking up these programmes.

Principal Scientist and Head of the Social Sciences Division (CIBA) M. Krishnan said training would be imparted to them in mud-crab culture technologies, preparation of feed for shrimps for use in aquaculture and production of value-added products from shrimp, crab and fish.

Additional Director of Special Village Panchayats R. Jayabal said the trainees were not from the fishing community but were keen to take up the programmes as income-generation activities.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail