ICAR-CCARI inked Landmark MoA with Mango Meadows, Kerala to Commercialize Six Innovative Coastal Agro and Fisheries Technologies

    The ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CCARI), Goa, has entered into a strategic Memorandum of Agreement with Mango Meadows, a renowned Agricultural Theme Park located in Kaduthuruthy, Kerala. This collaboration marks a major step towards the commercialization of cutting-edge coastal agro-fisheries technologies developed by ICAR-CCARI. The agreement was signed in the presence of Dr. Parveen Kumar, Director of ICAR-CCARI, and Shri. N.K. Kurian, Founder and Managing Director of Mango Meadows, an acclaimed agri-entrepreneur and recipient of the IARI Innovative Farmer Award, was nominated by ICAR-CCARI.

    Under this MoA, six innovative technologies developed by ICAR-CCARI are commercialized in partnership with Mango Meadows, which are CCARI Nutmeg Pericarp Taffy, CCARI Cashew Apple Crunch, CCARI Ornamental Fish Feed, CCARI Duck-Cum-Fish Cage, CCARI Artificial Fish Habitat and CCARI Portable Bamboo Aquarium.

    Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Parveen Kumar highlighted the proactive efforts of ICAR-CCARI scientists in developing sustainable, eco-friendly and livelihood-enhancing technologies tailored to the needs of coastal farmers and agri-entrepreneurs. "These innovations have the potential to transform rural livelihoods and open new avenues for value addition and income generation in coastal India," he remarked.

    Mr. N.K. Kurian expressed his appreciation for the scientific excellence of ICAR-CCARI and underscored the technologies' immense value for the coastal communities. “This collaboration will not only commercialize innovations but also strengthen the shared vision for biodiversity conservation and agro-ecotourism. Together, Mango Meadows and ICAR-CCARI will work to create sustainable and eco-friendly agro-eco-tourism models for the coastal region,” he stated.

    The commercialization of the technologies was led by Dr. R. Solomon Rajkumar, Nodal Officer, ITMU; Dr. Sreekanth G.B., Senior Scientist (FRM); and Shri Trivesh Mayekar, Scientist (FGR), whose efforts ensured the successful collaboration. This agreement heralds a new era of partnership between research institutions and agri-innovation hubs, aimed at translating science into scalable, real-world solutions for India’s coastal agricultural sector.