Field visit and interaction at mussel farm in Kavvayi estuary, Kerala

    A field visit and mussel harvest programme was conducted on 20 April 2025 at Madakkal, located in the Kavvayi estuary in the coastal district of Kasaragod, Kerala. Shri Pavithran, a progressive fish farmer with over 10 years of experience in mussel farming, has been successfully practicing rack culture of mussels using 1,000 ropes. His farming activities are supported financially by the Department of Fisheries, Government of Kerala.

    Dr. Sreekanth G.B., Senior Scientist (FRM) at ICAR-CCARI, has been providing scientific support for the initiative. His guidance encompasses the design of the rack structure, seed sourcing, rope seeding techniques, placement of seeded ropes, as well as routine monitoring and maintenance. He has also offered practical solutions to address challenges posed by tidal fluctuations and elevated water temperatures.

    One of the key challenges currently faced by the farmer is market access and the declining prices of mussels. A partial harvest of 200 ropes has already been completed, yielding approximately 500–600 kg of mussels (with a size grade of 45–50 count per kg). The harvest is primarily sold to wholesale dealers within the Kasaragod region.

    To improve market linkage and farm income, Dr. Sreekanth assured the farmer of efforts to connect him with reliable mussel traders from Goa and Karwar, where better prices may be realized. He also encouraged the farmer to explore value addition by shucking and cleaning the mussel meat for direct consumer sales, which could significantly enhance profitability.