June 6, 2007

Shrimp output drops 7 percent in India's Andhra Pradesh

Shrimp output in India's state of Andhra Pradesh has dropped 7 percent to 99,470 tonnes compared to the year before.

Production was down as some farmers had left shrimp farming due to the stringent export market regulations, antibiotic residue issues and diseases among shrimp, said Saifuddin Anis, deputy director, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).

The annual production included 62,601 tonnes of brackish water shrimp and 12,812 tonnes of fresh water shrimp, along with 24,056 tonnes of scampi.

Export prices ranged from Rs 270-280 per kg for shrimp while cost of production is estimated to be over Rs 220 per kg.

Farmers harvested two crops of shrimp and scampi during the year, netting 42,785 tonnes of brackish water shrimp and 7,686 tonnes of fresh water shrimp (total 50,471 tonnes) in the first crop, followed by 19,816 tonnes of brackish water shrimp and 5,126 tonnes of fresh water shrimp in the second.

Meanwhile, farmers lost more than 12,000 tonnes of shrimp during the year to diseases and bad weather.