The harvest festival of cage fish farming in Pokkali fields demonstrated by Krishi Vigyan Kendra(KVK) of CMFRI was inaugurated by actor Sreenivasan at Kadamakkudy Pokkali fields.
Sreenivasan said that Pokkali farming system is a matter of pride for Keralites and Pokkali farmers need to be respected as they produce purely organic rice and fish at a time when farming is being done by applying chemicals and growth hormones to augment production and profit. The activities of KVK and CMFRI to promote organic farming and safe-to-eat food production need to be continued, he added.
This demonstration intends to utilise the vacant channels and sluice pits (Thumbukuzhy) in Pokkali fields for fin fish farming to get additional remuneration for farmers to the tune of `80,000 per ha. The programme envisages to attract more farmers to this traditional farming system by ensuring additional profit.
The demonstration of cage farming conducted by KVK was with the funding from National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture, an ICAR- funded project. CMFRI director A Gopalakrishnan, KVK programme coordinator Shinoj Subramannian, fisheries specialist Vikas P A, pokkali farmers, public representatives and local residents participated.