ICAR - CIFRI

Overview

Publications

Social icons

CIFRI Awards

Recruitment

Intranet

CIFRI Corners'

Bridging the gap with tech: CIFRI supports tribal farmers in the West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya

12^th March, 2026
Jowai, Meghalaya.

To advance scientific aquaculture and bolster sustainable livelihoods, the ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CIFRI) hosted a high-impact "Field Day-cum-Input Distribution Programme" in West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya. The initiative, held at the Office of the Superintendent of Fisheries in Jowai, was a collaborative effort between ICAR-CIFRI Regional Centre, Guwahati, and the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of Meghalaya, under the Institute's Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP). Central to the program was the promotion of “CIFRI CAGEGROW,” a specialized floating fish feed developed by ICAR-CIFRI. Scientific feeding is a cornerstone of sustainable production, and this technology is specifically designed to maximize growth while maintaining water quality. The programme was organized under the guidance of Director, ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore; Director of Fisheries, Govt. of Meghalaya; Dr. S. K. Majhi, Head, ICAR-CIFRI RC, Guwahati; Shri Precious S. Suting, Superintendent of Fisheries, Jowai, West Jaintia Hills District, Meghalaya. It was coordinated by Dr. Pronob Das, Dr. S. C. S. Das, Senior Scientists and Mr. A. Kakati, Technical Officer of ICAR-CIFRI. The event drew 70 participants, including local fish farmers, government officials, and media personnel.

During the inaugural session, Shri Precious S. Suting emphasized the power of stakeholder collaboration to modernize the state's fisheries. He noted that previous distributions of CIFRI CAGEGROW have already yielded encouraging results for local farmers of the state. Dr. Pronob Das outlined ICAR-CIFRI’s ongoing efforts to adapt fisheries technology for the unique mid-altitude region of Meghalaya. Dr. S.C.S. Das and Mr. A. Kakati provided deep dives into the importance of high-quality seed, feeding schedules, and fish health management. Officials briefed farmers on available state schemes to further scale their operations..

The program concluded with the distribution of 5,000 kg of CIFRI CAGEGROW floating feed to 50 tribal fish farmers of West Jaintia Hills District. This critical input support is expected to significantly increase fish production and household income. "We are grateful for this unique program. The technical support and high-quality feed provided by CIFRI give us the tools we need to succeed," shared one of the progressive farmers in attendance..