Marine harvest
Following the success of seaweed farming in southern Tamil Nadu, where some 900 fisherfolk families have been earning ₹8,000 a month from this activity, the central government is serious about taking it nationwide. Last year, the government allocated ₹637 crore for the cultivation of this nutrition-rich marine plant, as part of the ₹20,050-crore Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana. And now, its Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), which provides equity support for indigenous technologies, has launched a seaweed programme. Three verticals have been created under it: Harmonisation of seaweed cultivation technologies with respect to geospatial location/ mapping; post-harvest technology optimisation and standardisation for value-added products; and support start-ups with innovative technologies.
Lending to Lab
Hyderabad-based RCC Laboratories India Pvt Ltd will get a loan of ₹15.54 crore from the Department of Science and Technology for setting up a ‘specific pathogen-free laboratory animal breeding and testing facility’. The total cost of the project is ₹38.3 crore. RCC Lab is a contract research organisation that provides preclinical and safety toxicology and chemical testing globally.