India to commence white shrimp production in February

Indian National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) has announced that white shrimp cultivation will begin in February next year.

According to NFDB chief executive officer P. Krishnaiah, the Union government will allow cultivation of white shrimp (penaeus vannamei) in India from the ensuing stocking season in February next year.

Local media reports said that P. vannamei, widely cultivated in the US, is seen as an alternative to tiger prawn (P. monodon), which is often afflicted by the white spot (virus) attacks. The demand for introduction of vannamei has been a long-pending demand of shrimp growers and traders as they feel there is a good export market for the species.

Shrimp culture in the country, predominantly black tiger prawn project, has declined from 106,165 tonnes in 2007-08 to 75,996 tonnes in 2008-09 - a fall of 28.4 percent.

The total export of shrimp and scampi (lobsters) from India during 2007-08 was valued at Rs28.36 billion, compared to Rs37.77 billion the year before and Rs36.05 billion in 2005-06.

Typically, a kilo of black prawn (20 to 25 shrimp) fetches about Rs275 to Rs300. With the white spot virus becoming rampant among the wild species, the profitability decreased and many shrimp farmers have run into difficulties.

Keeping in view the demand for quality shrimp seed, the NFDB has decided to set up a specific pathogen-free (SPF) shrimp seed plant for the black tiger prawn project at Mulapolam village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh together with Moana Technologies, a Hong Kong-based company with a proven record in SPF research for the species. SPF does not mean that shrimp are completely disease-free.

The NFDB had already acquired 100 acres of private land for the project estimated to cost Rs40 million. NFDB's role is to create hatchery infrastructure and then lease out the facilities to Moana Technologies, which will have a production capacity of three billion SPF seed a year.

US$1 = Rs46.134 (Oct 14)