Shrimp farming transforms Sirsa woman’s fortunes in Haryana

What was once considered unsuitable for cultivation due to saline soil and groundwater has become the foundation of a thriving enterprise for Sumitra, a homemaker from Karmshana village in Sirsa district.

With support under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), technical training and scientific farming practices, she has emerged as one of the successful women entrepreneurs in shrimp farming in the district.

Her family had long depended on traditional agriculture, but rising groundwater salinity and inadequate canal water made farming increasingly unviable. After learning about shrimp farming through newspapers and YouTube, she approached the Fisheries Department for training and technical guidance.

In 2021, Sumitra set up a shrimp farming project worth about Rs 14 lakh under PMMSY and received a subsidy of Rs 8.35 lakh. She developed two ponds over one hectare and began cultivating white shrimp using scientific methods.

Training from the Fisheries Department and the Aquaculture Research and Training Institute, Hisar, enabled her to adopt modern practices, including water quality management, biosecurity, balanced feeding, IoT-based feeders, certified shrimp seed and regular water testing, resulting in higher yields and lower disease incidence.

In the first year, she produced nearly 10 tonnes of shrimp and earned a net profit of about Rs 19 lakh. Encouraged by the results, she added two more ponds with a subsidy of around Rs 8.4 lakh, doubling annual production to nearly 20 tonnes.

During the 2023-24 financial year, her enterprise recorded a turnover of around Rs 68 lakh. The venture has generated direct employment for four people and indirect employment for 10 others.

Her success has inspired farmers across the region to take up shrimp farming. Nearly 115 acres in Karmshana village are now under shrimp cultivation, with a growing number of women entering aquaculture.

Sumitra now plans to further expand her farm by adopting advanced technologies. Her achievements have also received national recognition after NABARD nominated her venture as a “Super Success Story” in the fisheries sector.