Ludhiana-Jan, 2012 : Fisheries play a vital role in nutritional security, employment and income generation. India is the second largest producer of fish from aquaculture in the world. Although carps variety contribute more than 85% to the total aquaculture production in the country and 100% in Punjab but these are not preferred much by the local population due to the presence of intramuscular bones and fetch less market price. Hence to popularise carp fish among local fish eaters and to increase the profitability of the farmers, there is need to take up de-boning of carp flesh for removing the intramuscular bones and develop some value added products from deboned meat. This information was shared by Dr. Asha Dhawan Dean College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana. She revealed the prospects of pisciculture in two days training on Value Added Products from Freshwater Fish.
Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University is working on deboning of carps and production of value added products and has developed various fish products like Fish Balls, Fish fingers, Fish nuggets, fish cutlets from deboned carp meat. These products are tasty and preferred by consumers, being bone less and hence safer to consume especially by the children. To encourage the farmers of the State to take up value addition as an entrepreneur and to provide them with the required expertise, GADVASU had been conducting training programmes on regular basis. In this series, the university organised two days training on Value Added Products from Freshwater Fish in collaboration with Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), ICAR, Cochin on 24th and 25th January, 2012 at College of Fisheries. About 60 participants including fish farmers, officials of Punjab State Fisheries Department and scientists attended the training programme. Dr. G.S Kalkat, Chairman, Punjab State Farmer’s Commission was the chief guest of the programme. While interacting with the participants, Dr. Kalkat emphasised that in order to popularise fish among the masses there is need to develop value added products from fish. He also stressed to develop local marketing channels for consumption of these products within the State. Dr. V.K. Taneja, Vice Chancellor, GADVASU also asked the farmers to come forward and to take up value addition as an enterprise to popularise fish products in the State for higher economic returns. He also proposed to work out prospects and scope of value added products developed from carp fish especially with reference to quality of products and marketing. Dr. Asha Dhawan, Dean, College of Fisheries told that university is working on the concept of no wastage while processing the fish. She said that value added products are developed from fish meat & fish waste produced during the processing is used to prepare fish meal, bone meal and fish oil etc.
According to Dr. Ajeet Singh, Assistant Professor (Fisheries) & in-charge of post harvest unit, different value added products like fish balls, fish finger, fish cutlets and fish nuggets were displayed and sensory evaluation by all the participants was done during the training programme. Dr. Nassar and Dr. Asha Latha, Scientists from Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin also demonstrated preparation of different value added products like fish noodles, fish rice, fish momos & fish spring rolls to the farmers. The farmers also discussed the need of development of proper fish markets in the state so that they could take up self marketing of their fish and fish products for higher profits. They were of the opinion that such trainings are of great benefit for those who are interested in taking up value addition of carps on commercial scale. Value addition industry will not only open a new venture for employment and income generation in the State but also play an important role in women empowerment, who can add up to the family income through development of small scale processing industries for preparation and marketing of value added products.
