ICAR pushes for farmer-friendly technology

KOCHI: The blueprint of the Twelfth Plan envisages a shift from primary agriculture to secondary and setting up of 100 incubation centres. The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) is on a farmer-first drive. Scientists will devote 25 per cent of their time in providing better technology for farmers, said S Ayyappan, Director-General ICAR and Secretary, DARE. Ayyappan was inaugurating the Business Incubation Centre under the zonal Technology Management - Business Planning and Development(ZTM-BPD) project at the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology here on Thursday.Agriculture incubation Agriculture incubation is the way forward to attract youth and women. About 40 technologies have already been commercialised in the ICAR system through 10 BPD units set up across India. Referring to the nine incubation cells at CIFT, he said the incubatees should turn teachers and reach out to more farmers and light up their lives. Each centre must train more farmers to use the latest technology to develop value-added  products and in marketing, he said. The incubation centre aims to support new and existing entrepreneurs to start business ventures and thereby commercialise the technologies in the field of fisheries and agriculture developed by ICAR institutes in India. The centre provides an integrated package of technology, work space, shared office services, specialised equipment and value-added business services. A pilot plant complex with state-of-the-art generic semi-commercial production facilities for fish and meat based products is also available.OPex ReleasedAyyappan also released a new product, OPex, developed by CIFT from Oyster Peptide Extract, and a book on novel seafood recipes that can be prepared from oyster. ICAR Deputy Director-General B Meenakumari   and NAIP national director Bangali Baboo were the guests of honour. CIFT Director T K Srinivasa Gopal, CMFRI Director G Syda Rao, Assistant Director-General (IP and TM), ICAR S Mauria, former Deputy Director General (Fisheries) K Gopakumar and MPEDA vice-president Anwar Hashim spoke.  CIFT principal scientist Leela Edwin welcomed the gathering and CIFT principal scientist C N Ravishankar proposed a vote of thanks.