May 11, 2026
 

India shrimp farmers push back against proposed feed price hike in Andhra Pradesh

Aqua farmer associations in India's largest shrimp-producing state call on the chief minister to block a second feed price increase this year as rising input costs and disease pressure squeeze margins.

Shrimp feed manufacturers in Andhra Pradesh have proposed a further price increase of ₹12 per kilogramme for Vannamei shrimp feed and ₹14 per kilogramme for tiger shrimp feed, drawing strong opposition from aqua farmer associations who have urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to intervene and block the move.

The proposed increase follows a ₹4 per kilogramme rise implemented in February, with manufacturers citing higher costs of fishmeal, fish oil, minerals, binders and soybean over the three-month period from January to April 2026. The manufacturers have written to the Andhra Pradesh Fisheries Commissioner and the Andhra Pradesh State Aquaculture Development Authority seeking approval for the price adjustment.

Farmer associations dispute the justification for the increase. Duggineni Gopinath, president of the Prakasam District Shrimp Farmers' Association, accused feed manufacturers of forming a cartel and burdening farmers who are already under pressure from rising production costs and disease losses. "The Chief Minister should reject the proposal and help the aqua farmers," he said.

Association secretary B. Ramesh Reddy argued that raw material prices had not risen as significantly as manufacturers claim, noting that the annual fishing ban from April 15 to June 14 creates a temporary reduction in fishmeal and fish oil supply each year, and that soybean prices are typically lower at harvest in November and December. He said manufacturers were using the seasonal price movement as a pretext to increase margins.

Association vice-president Ch. Ramanaiah warned that a further feed price increase could drive farmers out of shrimp cultivation entirely, threatening the broader aquaculture industry. Farmer groups have also requested the government to reduce the power tariff for shrimp farmers to ₹1.50 per unit.

- The Hindu