Fall in aquaculture exports likely

Aquaculture exports in the country are likely to fall by 10 to 15 per cent during this fiscal due to prevalence of diseases and adverse climatic condition, according to Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) sources.

Andhra Pradesh accounts for about two-third of the country’s production of 3,53,413 tonnes of vannamei shrimp during 2014-15 with over 60,000 hectares under aquaculture, which happens to the main focus area of the State government to achieve double digit growth.

Inbreeding of seeds and improper management practices had put paid to the hopes of Navya Andhra to reap the benefits of the vast coastline, say the sources, adding that land under aquaculture could be doubled in the next five years as also production with practice of sustainable aquaculture.

Spurious seed problem

Meanwhile, State Fisheries Commissioner Ram Shankar Naik, taking part in a workshop for farmers organised by the National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture (NaCSA) here on Wednesday, said the sector was a in a ‘danger zone’' due to the problem of spurious seed.

The government mulled formation of a committee to come down heavily on erring hatcheries. Aquaculturists practising in about 500 to 600 hectares each would be grouped together next month and they would be educated on best management practices.

Meanwhile, NaCSA Chief Executive Officer K. Shanmukha Rao said the State government could increase the production by giving licenses to small and marginal farmers practising aquaculture in government wasteland so that they could be provided with incentives and institutional credit.

Technical session

During the technical session, V.N. Biju from the Central Aquaculture Pathology Lab, enlightened the farmers on shrimp diseases and health management, G. Mathew Srirangam, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, Andhra Loyola college, Vijayawada, made a PowerPoint presentation on adoption of better management practices for sustainable shrimp farming. Nutritionist and feed technologist P.V.S.V. Prasad highlighted the role of probiotics in getting good yield.

MPEDA Joint Director (training) Sampath Kumar highlighted the MPEDA’s financial assistance scheme for aquaculturists forming themselves into cooperative societies to create common infrastructure.