Achievements /
Post - Harvest Technology

The Achievements of the Project in the fields post harvest technology can be summarised as:

Development of Processed Fish Products & By-Products
Pilot scale export of Processed Fish Products
Popularisation of Processed Fish Products in the domestic market

Achievements / Post -  Harvest Technology /
Development of Processed Fish Products & By-products

When the Project was set up, the domestic consumer was not used to anything other than fresh fish and the export trade had just begun a humble beginning with moderate shrimp exports. The Project consumed processing of fish into diverse products with the establishment of freezing plant machinery during 1965-66, tunnel drier during 1975 and fish canning plant in 1978. During the period from 1966 to 1999, the Project processed 8794 tonnes of fish & shellfish in its various plants. The details of annual production is furnished in Annexure - VI.

Frozen Products
Dried Products
Smoked and Canned Products
Value added Products
Fishery By-products

Achievements / Post -  Harvest Technology /
Pilot scale export of Processed Fish Products

In a marine products exporting sector which was predominantly shrimp oriented, governmental efforts to demonstrate the export potential of processed fin fish and cuttle fish products were found necessary. The Project addressed to this requirement of such products by resorting to pilot scale export of consignments to various destinations.

The significant achievements were:

1. Export of processed Deep Sea Lobster tails and Lobster meat worth Rs. 52 lakhs was made by the Project during the period during 1969-75.
2. Frozen Cuttle fish was first exported from India during the period 1973-74.
3. Shark fin rays were exported for the first time from India by the Project during 1984-85. Subsequent exports were made during 1986 and 87.
4. Consignments consisting of value added products such as fish mince, fish cutlets, fish fritters and Clam meat was exported to middle east during 1994-95.
5. A consignment of Squid and Cuttle fish were air lifted from Trivandrum to Colombo during 1994-95

Achievements / Post -  Harvest Technology /
Popularisation of Processed Fish Products in the domestic market

The implication of the popularisation of Processed Fish Products in early sixties and seventies by the Project can be conceived only with an understanding that the fish eating public which confined to the narrow coastal belt would accept nothing other than fresh fish, while sea fish is totally unfamiliar to the populace in the hinder lands. The urban dwellers would like to have it but it is not simply available in places other than the coastal towns and cities.

Geographical coverage and outlet wise sales
Ernakulam Stall
Alwaye Stall
Palai Stall
Rural Marketing
Canned and Dried Fish outlet (Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi
Dealers
Transportation of Products
Addresses of the Outlets

Achievements / Post -  Harvest Technology /
Research and Development, Training & Consultancy

New product development and value addition was achieved through sustained Research and Development efforts of the division. The major Research and Development break through in the recent years were:

1. Standardization of fish curry products in retortable pouches and commencement of pilot scale production and test launching of the product in Goa during 1995.
2. Acquisition of Surimi technology and conducting a series of training programmes in association with Marine Products Export Development Authority on fish paste based products for the benefit of fish processing industry.
3. Standardization and induction of different denominations of indigenous drawn aluminum cans for packing of fish.
4. Completion of Research and Development studies on packing of sterile drinking water for use in life saving appliances for ships.
5. Transportation studie sand product development from farmed green mussel during 1997-98.
6. Studies on ship board processing of Antarctic krill and product development and test marketing in domestic sector during 1997.
7. Standardization of fish, prawn and bivalve pickles and its packaging in bottles and sachets.

Besides regular training in fish processing technology of six months duration and apprenticeship training of one-year duration, special training programmes as per the requirements of user governments/organisations were also designed and executed. State Government Fisheries Department of Kerala, National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development and International Organisations and ITEK were some of the important user agencies.

A special programme to reach low cost technologies in fish processing to the target group of coastal fisher women was designed and successfully executed by the Project in association with the Kerala State women’s Development Corporation for beneficiaries of two coastal districts of Kerala. Few Small Scale Iindustry units formed by the master trainers and new members are functioning viably in these districts. The programme is suitable for replication in other coastal districts of the country if the respective state governments come forward.

Consultancy continued to be provided in processing of fin fish to the industry. As a promotional measure, specific fin fish processing operations such as filleting, production of steaks, development of Individual Quick Frying fin fish products and fin fish drying used to be undertaken by the Project for the exporters.

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