Five days training programme on value addition of fish & shellfish concluded at College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana which was held to educate and provide hands on training to the fish farmers and entrepreneurs. The training was for developing processing skills to establish small scale 
fish processing units for higher economic returns. Seventeen farmers from different districts of Punjab attended the training programme. With major focus on value addition in carp fish, which is the major freshwater fish cultured in India and the only freshwater fish cultured in the state, the programme was technically designed to provide practical training in developing spine less value added products. The trainees were given practical exposure to learn all the processing related activities like cleaning, preservation, cutting, deboning, product preparation and packaging with special reference to quality assurance, marketing. Trainees also educated for preparation of valuable by-product from fish waste through ‘Zero Wastage Fish Processing Technology’ developed by GADVASU. In addition to carps, value addition in high value species like pangas catfish, including filleting & pickle making, was also taken up. Technology for preparing about ten value added fish products like fish balls, fish cutlets, fish fingers, fish wafers, fish papad, fish sausages fish samosas, fish pickle and by-products fish meal & fish silage was demonstrated to the trainees. Further, the trainees were also provided ‘Hands on Training’ in operating different fish/shellfish processing machinery.
Dr. S.N.S. Randhawa, Director of Extension Education, GADVASU and Dr. Asha Dhawan, Dean, College of Fisheries addressed the trainees on the valedictory function. Dr. S.N.S. Randhawa motivated the trainees to come forward in the form of co-operative societies or self help groups to take the fisheries sector of the State to new heights through processing. Dr. Asha Dhawan told that India earned more than 30,000 crores through export of processed fish/shellfish products in 2013-14. She added that there is also immense scope in developing processing industry in the State, with special reference to two new species, viz. pangas catfish and brackishwater shrimp ‘Vannamei’, which can be taken up in the State and in the coming years. It is expected to grow very fast to generate huge returns in terms of revenue and employment. The Course Co-ordinator & the Technical Co-ordinator were Dr. Ajeet Singh, Assistant Professor (Fisheries) and Mr. Vijay Kumar Reddy, Assistant Scientist (Fisheries), respectively.
