CIFT joins hands with MPEDA to promote value added fish products

Stakeholders being trained in processing, technology and market trend

CIFT scientist Dr. P. Viji explaining about value addition of shrimp, in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), a dedicated research body under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, has joined hands with the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) to impart training on how to increase earnings by value addition to the technocrats engaged in fish processing units

Many technocrats from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, during a three-day training here on Thursday, were taught the theory and practical demonstration on the process of value addition to fish, shrimp and cephalopods.

Product diversification

The technologies developed by the CIFT were demonstrated on how to tap not only the huge export potential of the processed fish products but also raise the revenue by selling them in the domestic market too.

The participants were sensitised on how a range of product diversification by the value addition could be prepared including wallet-friendly gutted fish, steaks, fillets and expensive ready-to-serve items such as ‘fish curry in pouch.’

A kg of raw fish valued at ₹40 can be sold at ₹62 or above with a little value addition. If it is converted into ready-to-eat cutlets, it will fetch ₹250 per kg. Fish pickle if made properly can be sold at ₹300 per kg, the experts said.

“The low awareness level is a major barrier. Hence, we are trying to educate fishermen, technocrats as well as all other stakeholders on how to earn more through value addition and the results are encouraging,” CIFT scientist Dr. P. Viji told The Hindu on Thursday.

Further, the participants were taught on production of battered and breaded products such as fish fingers, nuggets, fillets, fish balls and speciality products from shrimp such as coated butterfly, fan tail round, nobashi and sushi.

“We learnt the tips on centre peel shrimp, cooked centre peel, skewers and on how to make kebabs with dressed shrimps by mixing them with an array of vegetables,” said A. Ravi, a technocrat from BMR Industry, Nellore.

Export scenario

India has exported various types of fish weighing 13.77 lakh tonne valued at ₹45,106 crore, registering an increase by 21% when compared to the previous years . Frozen shrimp mostly Vannamei alone accounted for 68.46% of the total dollar earning.