Progressive Fish Farmer from Odisha trained under ICAR-CIFA and KVK, Khordha conferred with Padma Shri Award - 2020

Shri Batakrushna Sahoo, a Progressive Fish Farmer from Odisha was conferred with Padma Shri Award - 2020.

Shri Sahoo hails from Sarakana Village, Balianta Block of Khordha District, Odisha. He ventured into the aquaculture during the late eighties as a grow-out culture farmer. With the help of technical guidance from ICAR-CIFA and Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Khordha, he expanded his enterprise into the fish breeding and seed production effectively.

Presently, he is undertaking the aquaculture operations in about 10 acres area. Shri Sahoo is an innovative aqua-farmer who adopts and experiments new methods in aquaculture.

He adopted the scientific technology packages for carp breeding, seed production, brood rearing and grow out culture. He is also one of the pioneer farmers to achieve early breeding in Odisha by using CIFABROOD^TM, a special broodstock feed developed by ICAR-CIFA for carps. Recognizing his entrepreneurial spirit, ICAR-CIFA established an Aquaculture Field School (AFS) in 2009 in his farm for facilitating farmer to farmer technology dissemination. It has given him a platform to train and share his aqua-farming experience to thousands of aqua-farmers across Odisha and different states. He has been with the 4^th highest civilian award in the country for his contribution in the field of Animal Husbandry.

Shri Sahoo was felicitated by Dr. B.R. Pillai, Director, ICAR-CIFA and Dr. P.N. Ananth, Head, KVK, Khordha during the ceremonial function held on 27^th January, 2020.

In his address, Shri Sahoo said that the award is the result of nearly 35 years of his dedication to farming. He has extended help to many fellow farmers who have shown interest in this without any charges. He also urged the aqua-farmers for adopting the scientific technologies to improve the fish production of the state and the country.

(Source: ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Bhubaneswar)