Field day and farmer-scientist interface organised at Udupi coastal district, Karnataka

    A field day and farmer-scientist interface event was held on March 7, 2025, at Kodi Village in Udupi Coastal District, Karnataka. The event was organized by ICAR-CCARI in collaboration with ICAR-KVK, Brahmavara, and Udupi Kinara FFPO under the ICAR-SCSP initiative of the Government of India. About 30 farmers, including 20 women, participated in the event. Dr. Sadananda Acharya, Scientist (Fisheries) at ICAR-KVK, Brahmavara, welcomed the participants and provided an overview of the village's farming activities, including cage culture, mussel farming, pearl oyster farming, coconut and vegetable cultivation. Shri Sudina, Managing Director of the FFPO, outlined the organization's activities and highlighted the significant role of women for fisheries development in the village. Dr. Sreekanth GB, Senior Scientist (FRM) at ICAR-CCARI, addressed the group and shared information about the institute's research and development efforts. He also demonstrated various fisheries technologies, such as mussel farming, integrated fish farming, crab farming, and low-cost fish traps. Dr. Sreekanth provided the scientific guidance on mussel farming and advised the farmers to implement green net shading for mussel culture units to prevent the death and loss of seed mussels due to excessive heat. He commended the farmers' efforts in freshwater pearl oyster culture and promised to expand the technology to selected coastal villages. During the event, the operation of a grass cutting machine was also demonstrated. Shri Ravi Kharvi, recipient of the National Fish Farmer Award, and Shri Mahesh Bhat, recipient of the State Fish Farmer Award, both progressive fish farmers from Udupi district, attended the event. They shared their valuable experiences with the participants, encouraging them to explore innovative fish farming methods. Grass cutting machines and HDPE barrels were distributed to the farmers, who expressed their heartfelt gratitude to ICAR-CCARI for their guidance and support. They also assured full cooperation for future activities in the coastal region.