Fallow land of Punjab and Haryana in high demand

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 30

Non-arable waterlogged saline land has become rich source of income for the landowners. Farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are converting fallow patches into shallow ponds for shrimp cultivation — a product that commands premium.

More than 200 farmers in the three states have adopted shrimp farming, which covers over 1,000 acres of land. Haryana leads the lot with 700 acres, followed by Punjab (200 acres) and Rajasthan (50 acres).

The new-age farming has changed the fortune of farmers in the region, says Raj Kumar Sharma from Abohar. “I started shrimp farming on a three-acre leased land last year and paid only Rs 25,000 as annual rent. The yield in the first year was valued at Rs 25.66 lakh, including input costs,” he said. Encouraged by the success, Sharma extended his venture to 11 acres of land.

The farming technology costs around Rs 7-10 lakh per acre. The Central government, however, offers a subsidy of around Rs 2 lakh per acre.

Shrimp farming is no longer restricted to the high-salinity areas around coasts. A team of the Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai, led by Dr Gopal Krishna, Director and VC, former director and  VC WS Lakra, Dr AK Reddy and CIFE’s Rohtak-based scientist V Harikrishna, has developed a technology that made shrimp farming possible even in landlocked Punjab and Haryana.

The innovation by Harikrishna and his team focuses on changing the chemical composition of inland water by designing specific and correct ionic concentration to make it suitable for growth, survival and commercial farming of shrimps.

“This technology has immense relevance for Rohtak, Hisar, Bhiwani, Sirsa, Jind, Jhajjar, Fatehabad and Gurgaon in Haryana and Fazilka, Muktsar, Bathinda in Punjab,” he said. There is a big demand for shrimp in the domestic market as well as export market, he added.

Sharma said the saline land, which had no value few years ago, is commanding a premium now. “Now rents have gone up as high as Rs 35,000 per acre for shrimp farming,” he said.

Another farmer, Amarjit Malik says, “Considering all the expenses, the net profit is around Rs 5-6 lakh per acre.” Rohtak-based Malik had initially started shrimp farming on 2.5 acres and expanded it to 15 acres in just three years.

A shrimp weighs around 25-70 grams with gestation period of 90-120 days. On the lower side, the average income of the farmers is Rs 3-4 lakh per acre while on the higher side it is Rs 8-9 lakh per acre. The produce is sold anywhere between Rs 200-600 per kg. On an average, an acre of land produces 2.5-3.5 tonnes of shrimp.

BOX:

Shrimp cultivation

Haryana 700 acres

Punjab 200 acres

Rajasthan 50 acres

Technology cost: Rs7-10 lakh per acre

Central subsidy: Arout Rs2 lakh/acre

Net income: Rs3-9 lakh per acre

Market value: Rs 200-600 per kg

Yield: 2.5-3.5 tonne per acre