Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 |
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Agri-Biz & Commodities
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Aquaculture Mussel farming turns a flourishing trade V. Sajeev Kumar
Kochi , Jan. 17 MUSSEL farming is gaining momentum in the State, as more people, especially women, have started to take it up in a big way. The success of mussel farming can be gauged from the fact that the production had reached 800 tonnes of late from about 20 tonnes in 1996. It is poised to double by 2005-08 on account of the refined technology adopted to meet the demand of farmers, said Dr K. K. Appukuttan, Principal Scientist and Head of Molluscan Fisheries Division of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI). The national annual mussel production, which was less than 10,000 tonnes till the beginning of the decade, is expected to more than double this year through the development of more mussel farms in coastal areas, he added. The training programmes conducted in collaboration with CMFRI for imparting techniques of mussel farming and for creating awareness among the funding agencies, State Government organisations and panchayats; and the release of funds under various developmental schemes helped in popularising mussel farming in the State, he said. The Institute had developed a simple mussel culture technology suitable for coastal waters, using seeds available in inter-tidal areas in the East and West coasts of India. However, farmers adopted the mussel culture technology developed by CMFRI during the early 70s only after two decades. In Kerala, he said, the two important events that had taken place in mussel farming are women's participation in the Northern Malabar area and also farming in estuaries by small help groups. Experiments for reducing capital investment in farm materials like the use of cement-filled PVC tubes instead of costly wooden and bamboo poles, and the development of a seeding machine to seed mussel ropes to reduce time and labour have also been carried out. According to Dr Appukuttan, women from Kasargod had started their own mussel farms with the financial support extended by the Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) and also through Training of Rural Youth in Self Employment (TRYSEM) programmes. Of late, all these programmes have been brought under a single scheme called Swarnajayanthi Gramaswa Rosgar Yogna (SGSY) for the economic empowerment of weaker sections through loans and subsidies. Moreover, the finance extended by various governmental agencies to the newly formed village mussel farming groups had also resulted in the opening of several mussel farms in the region. More areas can be developed for mussel culture with the local community's participation. The extension of activities and the transfer of technology programmes are being strengthened by scientific support and demonstrations in new areas in South and North Kerala, especially in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts, he added.
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