Rohtak Centre

CIFE Rohtak is the only central research centre in India dedicated to research on use of inland saline soils and inland saline ground water for fish and shrimp culture (Inland saline aquaculture). The centre is located in Lahli Village, Rohtak, Haryana and about 15 km from Rohtak city on Rohtak – Bhiwani road (NH 709). Traditionally a non-fish growing state, CIFE pioneered scientific fish farming in Haryana after successful pilot studies and demonstrations at Dumduma and Sultanpur farm in Gurgaon District, Haryana beginning as early as 1980. To further strengthen research in Inland saline aquaculture, CIFE shifted its research centre from Sultanpur to the National seed farm facility under the State Fisheries Department near Rohtak (Lahli-Baiyani Villages) in April 1996. This centre has a total farm area of 32 acres (13 ha) with two farms i.e., Baniyani farm dedicated towards shrimp aquaculture research activities and Lahli farm for finfish aquaculture research.

The Tiger shrimp culture (P. monodon) technology was introduced through a successful demonstration in a farmer’s field by ICAR-CIFE, Rohtak Centre, under NABARD-SDC Rural Innovation Fund. Later, ICAR-CIFE developed a technology for the farming of Penaeus vannamei in inland saline salt-affected areas in 2013 using ionic fortification. The intensive demonstration and training were imparted to farmers of four states, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, in collaboration with the respective State Fisheries Departments, resulting in the widespread adoption of this technology. To date, the technology has been demonstrated in around 1200 acres in the state of Punjab, 1000 acres in the State of Rajasthan, 2942 acres in the state of Haryana, and 25-30 acres in the State of Uttar Pradesh with an average productivity of 2.8 tonnes/acre. Under the prestigious World Bank-ICAR-funded NAHEP project, the centre has developed various technologies for shrimp culture in degraded soils. For low saline carp culture, the CIFE Rohtak centre has bagged a project (Rs 9.28 crores) under the prestigious PMMSY scheme of the Government of India for the genetic improvement of common carp. The pedigree seeds of genetically selected fish are distributed to farmers and the State Fisheries Department.