Ikabode | A Local Startup That Brings Fresh Fish to Your Reach
Many a times, visiting the local market to buy meat or fish turns messy. The smell might not be too pleasant or you might simply not have the time. At times, the fish may even be a day or two old and kept frozen. Keeping in mind too that a lot of food fanatics like their fish fresh and that too while knowing where it came from.
The combination of high demand for fresh fish and the lack of quality and organised supply, helped in the start of a women led startup in Shillong that sells fresh fish sourced directly from the local ponds and lakes of the state.
Here we had the chance to speak with Ibansara Shullai about her venture, Ikabode.
Please introduce your venture to our readers.
⁃ Ikabode Megfish Retail Store aims to promote and market locally cultivated fresh fish in Shillong. In partnership with the Directorate of Fisheries in Meghalaya, the venture involves two components – a fish store that supplies live fish from local ponds, and an attached kitchen that offers unique food items that showcase the flavours present in fish grown in the pristine environs of the state.
What was the idea behind launching this venture?
⁃ For a very long time, Meghalaya has been suffering from the presence of chemical adulterants in the fish being sold in the market. This situation exists because of the state’s dependence on imported fish that travels long distances before reaching the market. In order to portray the appearance of freshness, formalin (a preservative that is harmful when consumed) is often injected into the fish meat. Ikabode aims to be the first fish retail store that guarantees the quality and freshness of fish, while also building a supportive ecosystem for local farmers.
What’s been the driving force or your biggest inspiration?
⁃ The co-founders of this initiative have previously worked extensively with farmers, and have always harboured a desire to connect them closely with consumers. We believe that cultivation practices in the Northeast have a lot of potential for improvement in terms of supply chain efficiency. Only by actively engaging in building grassroots networks can we as a society begin to demand accountability and high quality in the products we consume.
What is the specialty of your product/service?
⁃ Ikabode Megfish is the first initiative to focus on local consumption of fish. We bring this vision to reality by partnering with the Fisheries Directorate to build farmer networks, and by transporting live fish to the market in Shillong. We hope to promote the superior taste of fish that is cultivated in our pristine state.
What do you wish people to take away from your product?
⁃ We hope to create awareness about the value of locally cultivated fish among consumers. At the same time, by building bridges between farmers and consumers, we hope to provide a system of accountability and support for all stakeholders involved.
What’s your wow moment till date?
⁃ During our conversations with farmers, we began to understand that their lack of means to communicate with consumers left them vulnerable to the cruel economics of market forces. However, as human beings who require motivation and encouragement like everybody else, they expressed a desire to grow better and healthy fish by adopting sustainable cultivation practices. More than a ‘wow’ moment, this was an ‘aha’ moment for us when we realised, we could find a way to achieve this and leave both consumers and farmers satisfied.
Any message that you would like to share with our readers?
⁃ Support your farmers and always demand great taste! After all, great flavour originates in healthy and naturally inspired cultivation practices. Incorporate these values into your visits to local markets, and you will find that you have a more homely table to sit down to at mealtimes, for which generations of your family will remain grateful.
Ikabode’s Fish outlet is open every weekday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Directorate of Fisheries, Opposite St. Edmund’s College, Main Gate, Shillong
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Very good initiative that too by women. This is what we see in country like Thailand where live fish are being display in the shop. Hope it will expand to other parts of the state too.