Zonal Technology Management Centre

and

 

The Zonal Technology Management Centre & Business Planning and Development Unit (ZTMC-BPD) at Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin was inaugurated by Prof.K.V.Thomas, Minister for State for Agriculture,  Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on 29 August 2009.

 

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) through the World Bank funded National Agricultural Innovation Project is giving a renewed boost to the agricultural research scenario through agribusiness promotion. As a part of Intellectual Property Management and commercialization drive of the ICAR, 5 five Zonal Technology Management Centres & Business Planning and Development Units are being set up in India under the NAIP at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar , Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai, National Institute of Research on Jute and Allied Fibres Technology, Kolkata and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Kochi.

 

The ICAR has chosen CIFT as the seat for ZTMC-BPD for facilitating commercialization of technologies of 22 agricultural institutes of southern India. Alongside a Business Planning and Development Unit with full fledged pilot plant facilities for semi – commercial production of fish products will also be set up at CIFT. The Business Planning & Development Unit will nurture the development of small scale entrepreneurs for the emergence of successful business ventures by providing technological back up, access to specialized equipment and workspace and other facilities in this Institute’s premises. Establishment of Agribusiness enterprises through IPR enabled ICAR technologies and knowledge from Institutes under south zone for creation of national wealth, employment generation and enhancement of stakeholder income by linking R&D system and prospective entrepreneurs through guidance, infrastructure facility, support services and training.

 

Business Planning & Development Unit at CIFT

A Business Incubator nurtures the development of technology based and knowledge driven companies helping them to survive and grow during the start up period (2-3 years) by providing an integrated package of technology, work space, shared office services, access to specialized equipment and value added services like management assistance, business planning, access to finance, technical assistance and networking support. The primary goal of a business incubator is to produce successful businesses that are able to operate independently and financially viable.

 

The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin is the only national centre in the country where research in all disciplines relating to fishing and fish processing is undertaken. This institution has in fact proved its place as a source of technologies and knowledge in fisheries, generated by dedicated scientists over the past 50 years.  The BPD unit with a budgetary allocation of Rs 770.7 lakhs is a business incubation drive with the main objective of commercializing the technologies developed at CIFT and other member Institutes. It will also provide pilot level production facilities in fisheries to entrepreneurs for test marketing, besides imparting training for creating prospective entrepreneurs and value added man power.

 

Zonal Technology Management Centre at CIFT

ICAR will secure IPR protection as per the Indian law and in conformity with the international agreements to which India is a signatory. It will promote transfer of its IPR enabled technologies, including finished processes, products, creations/works and other know-how, through commercial and public routes to farmers. Systematic management of its IPR regime will promote a commercial ethos in public sector research helping to transform agriculture from a predominantly subsistence mode to a globally competitive one. ICAR will put in place an IP watch system. This will include creating a detailed IP database and appropriate facilities for patent/IP search together with establishing a mechanism of market watch.

 

Under the institutional mechanism for IP management, it has been decided to establish Zonal Technology Management Centres (ZTMC) at five different zones which will function as the intermediate arm between ATMC and ITMU. The CIFT will have the responsibility to manage IP protection/ maintenance and technology transfer/ commercialization of the technologies of the south institute itself and to coordinate and facilitate/ manage IP for ICAR institutions in the south zone.

The national Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) is a World Bank funded initiative, implemented through Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) that aims at alleviating poverty and expediting the transfer of technologies for ensuring sustainability in agriculture. The NAIP value chain sub project on ‘Re Responsible harvesting and utilization of selected small pelagics and freshwater fishes’ was initiated at CIFT, Cochin on 1^st January, 2008. The technologies developed by CIFT is adapted under the project to integrate and develop and efficient value chain for the responsible harvesting and total utilization of small pelagics and freshwater fishes and to demonstrate a business model for the socioeconomic benefit of the fisher folk. The project is being carried out in consortium mode with CIFT as the consortium Lead Centre and Cooperative Societies, Public Sector Undertakings and Private Enterprises, Government Fisheries Departments and NGO as partners.

 

Launching of the project

 

            The NAIP Sub-project was formally launched by Prof. P.K. Abdul Aziz, Vice Chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University on 4^th February, 2008. Dr. K. Devadasan, Director, CIFT presided over the meeting. Dr. J.P. Mittal, National Coordinator, NAIP, ICAR, New Delhi gave an overview of the objectives and implementation of the project.

 

More information is available at the website of the project.

 

Chief findings:

• Benchmark survey of ring seine, Dol net and gill net sectors were conducted at Chellanam, Jaffarabad and Malampuzha Respectively.
• Optimized ring seines designed and fabricated for experimental operation at Chellanam through CKFWDCS.
• In the Chellanam area, there is a tremendous increase in fishing effort in terms of dimensions of the craft and gear of ring seines leading to high fuel consumption.
• The energy analysis in ring seiners will be measured using torque measurement systems installed on board.
• The decrease in the mesh size to 8-10 mm has caused high juvenile incidence in the Choodavala catches.
• The fuel expenses account for 54% of the annual operational cost of a Dol netter.
• Efforts for the optimization of Dol net including bycatch reduction devices is underway.
• In Malampuzha reservoir, there is lack of safe and durable fishing craft and the fishermen are using inflated rubber tubes for fishing.
• It was observed that there are no species specific gill net and construction of the gear needs optimization.
• The total aerobic bacterial population in dried fish products obtained from Chellanam is found to be higher that the permissible limits of 10⁵ cfu/gm.
• The process for ready to cook and ready to fry products form sardine (Sardinella longiceps), mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) and anchovy (Stolephorus) were standardized.
• Condiment incorporated products from sardine, mackerel and anchovy had a shelf life of 5, 11 and 17 days respectively, under chilled condition (4+ 2⁰C)
• Omega concentrates were encapsulated.
• Process for development of good quality laminated Bombay duck was modified for popularization at Jaffarabad.
• The marketing of small pelagics like sardine, mackerel and anchovies is through traditional channels where traders fix the prices.
• At Chellanam only 33% of fisherwomen are involved in fish drying, 7% in other occupations and the rest are not gainfully employed.
• The selected Women Self Help Groups at Chellanam were studied with focus on dynamics of group, decision making and performance and active members selected for the development of the post harvest activity clusters.
• At Jaffarabad only 8% of the catch is marketed in fresh from and the rest goes for drying.
• At Malampuzha, the base price of fish fixed by the Department of Fisheries has not been revised according to the current market scenario.
• The market information system capable of accessing, delivering, and exchanging information in digital forms is being developed.

Principal Investigator: Shri M. Nasser, CIFT, Cochin

 

Location of Project : Cochin, Mangalore & Veraval

 

Co-investigators :

 

Cochin

(Smt. Omana Berly)

(Smt. T.A. Valsala)

Dr. M.R. Boopendranath

Dr. Leela Edwin

Dr. Saly N. Thomas

Dr. C.N. Ravishankar

Dr. M.P. Remesan

Dr. P.T. Mathew

Dr. K.V. Lalitha

Dr. S. Sanjeev

Dr. T.V. Sankar

Dr. R. Anandan

Dr. A.A. Zynudheen

Dr. S. Balasubramaniam

Dr. V. Geethalakshmi

Dr. Nikita Gopal

Shri J. Charles Jeeva

Dr. A. Samraj

Shri Dhiju Das

Shri M.A. George

Ms. Anju

Ms. C.S. Jyothi

Shri Sunil P. Hassan

Mrs. A. Razia Mohamed

Ms. R. Parvathy

Shri S. Jayakrishnan
Mangalore

(Shri V.K. Shetty)

Veraval
Shri V.R. Madhu

Dr. L.N. Murthy

Shri V.I. Hakkim

Shri V.G. Jinoy

Consortium Principal Investigator: Dr. E.V. Radhakrishnan, CMFRI, Cochin

Location of Project : Cochin & Lakshadweep

Consortium Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. T.K. Srinivasa Gopal

Co-Principal Investigator :

Dr. B. Meenakumari

Dr. P. Pravin

Dr. K. Ashok Kumar

Dr. Suseela Mathew

Dr. Toms.C.Joseph

Smt. J. Bindu

Shri K.V. Aneesh Kumar

Shri P.S. Kanolkar

Shri R. Yathavamoorthy

Principal Investigator: Dr. P.S. Rao, (IIT, Kharagpur)

Location of Project : Kharagpur & Cochin

Co-investigators :

Smt. J. Bindu

Dr. T.K. Srinivasa Gopal

Smt. K.K. Asha

Dr. Sanjoy Das

Shri C.K. Kamalakanth
Shri Ginson Joseph

Consortium Leader: CMFRI, Cochin-18
Total Fund: 541.3 lakhs

Fund  allotted for CIFT: 23.1 lakhs

 

Work envisaged for CIFT:

Gear technology (Fishing Technology Division)

1.   Modifications to Pablo boats and >20 m OAL squid jigger

2.   Gear evaluation

Biochemistry (Biochemistry & Nutrition Division)

3.   Resolving off-flavour problem

4.   Utilization of squid waste.

 

Methodolgy

• Evolving new methodology and standardization of methods for removal of off flavor contributing compounds in squid tissue.
• Determination of biochemical quality parameters during harvesting, handling and processing.

 Recruitment: Miss Remya Kumari K R has joined as SRF on 30^th September 09.

 Literature collection is underway

Work is going on in biochemical techniques relevant to the project work, HPLC separations and methods for assaying for nutritional parameters of fish etc.

Bioprospecting of  genes and allele mining for abiotic stress tolerance

 

 

Consortium Leader: NPRCB,New Delhi-110012

Total Fund: 5713.243 lakhs

Fund  allotted for CIFT: 77.452 lakhs

Co-investigators: Dr.Toms C. Joseph

                               Dr. K V Lalitha

SRFs: Mr. Aravind Madhavan

          Miss. Aswathy Mary Varghese

 

 Perspective of the Project

 

Increase in agricultural productivity has to out-pace the rate of growth in population.

This has to happen despite all the adverse abiotic and biotic stress factors under the climate change regime. India, with more than one billion population to be provided with adequate food and nutrition cannot relax. Besides, sustainability of the agricultural production systems, profitability and greater competitiveness in the world market make the task of meeting the targeted growth in agriculture a formidable challenge.Genetic enhancement has been successful in meeting the demands of the ever increasing population largely because of discovery and use of novel genes. India is fortunate to have a rich bio-diversity. Characterisation and utilisation of this diversity is essential to meet the challenges of biotic and abiotic stresses under changing climate. This project is a step in this direction. A long-term perspective of this project is to i) Prospect novel genes, promoters and alleles for economically important traits using indigenous bioresources, ii) Functionally validate the new genes in model systems and different genetic backgrounds, iii) Transfer of the validated genes and alleles to recipient species cutting across biological barriers.

 

Work envisaged for CIFT

·         Isolation of salinity and anoxia tolerant genes from bacteria

·         Molecular characterisation of the saline and anoxia tolerant genes

·         Understanding novel genes that might be involved in imparting stress tolerance

       in selected strains by transposon mutagenesis approach