Bathinda In an uncertain market environment for shrimp, aquaculturists in the state want the state government to help ensure transport of their export-oriented crop to key shipping destinations in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, amid the pandemic to set-off some of the losses. This year, the output is expected to come down to half of the 800 tonne that the state produced from 350 acre, due to issues with seed availability etc. The crop is harvested up to October and is sown April onwards.
Lakhwinder Singh, a farmer from Ratta Khera village in Muktsar, said, “I have seven-acre land under aquaculture, but this time it is a poor production season. Farmers will struggle to recover even the cost of Rs 4 lakh invested in one acre. As there is no respite in covid-19, it is also doubtful if buyers from coastal regions will send their trucks to Punjab. As the aqua-crop will be harvested in October, an assurance by the state government of transportation to processing units will save from financial disaster,” he said.
He added to minimise losses, he has scaled down his five-year-old year initiative of shrimp farming by putting 1 lakh seeds in a 1.5-acre area that was half in comparison to 2019.
Dr Meera D Ansal, department of Aquaculture College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, said shrimp farming was a risky venture in today’s times. “Root stocking of shrimp is imported from the US. Due to the pandemic, international consignments got delayed. Due to non-availability of seeds in Punjab and Haryana, shrimp cultivation began after June 15, a delay of over three months. US and China are main importers of Indian shrimp and farmers have doubts over smooth exports this year, shrimp should be promoted for consumption in the Indian market,” she said, adding the situation could give good return if the situation improved.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Meera D Ansal, department of Aquaculture College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, said shrimp farming was a risky venture in today’s times. “Root stocking of shrimp is imported from the US. Due to the pandemic, international consignments got delayed. Due to non-availability of seeds in Punjab and Haryana, shrimp cultivation began after June 15, a delay of over three months. US and China are main importers of Indian shrimp and farmers have doubts over smooth exports this year, shrimp should be promoted for consumption in the Indian market,” she said, adding the situation could give good return if the situation improved.
{{/usCountry}}Experts say the aquaculture has turned a boon for the farmers of south Malwa region since it was introduced in 2016 in the area where land was not usable for conventional crops due to high salinity level and water-logging.
About 4,000 kg of shrimps can be produced from a pond excavated on an acre of land, which can fetch a price of Rs 350-400 per kg. After excluding costs, the net profit may be up to Rs 3 lakh per acre, which is more than any other conventional crop.
An enterprising farmer from Bathinda’s Kot Guru village Harpal Singh said he reduced land under shrimp to two acre from four acre last year. Shrimp farmers is treated as small-scale industry and charged Rs 9-unit for electricity. The tariff should be lowered as a relief measure to make sustainable, he added. Similarly, Jagmohan Singh from Arniwala village in Fazilka said government subsidy will help them stay afloat in shrimp farming during the crisis.