Muktsar: Low demand, area under shrimp farming shrinks

Just after eight years of its introduction, the net area under shrimp farming has started witnessing a decline in Muktsar. The district has shrimp ponds on 600 acres, with shrimp farming presently being done on 450 acres. Increased input costs and farmers not getting good price over the past two years are stated to be the reasons behind it.

Not getting good price

We started shrimp farming in partnership on seven acres. However, as I could not make profit for two years, I moved out of the partnership. There is hardly any local demand. Buyers come from Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, who further export it. They do not give a good price, therefore, many farmers have left shrimp farming. A farmer

Notably, shrimp farming is done in saline water and the salinity level should be above five parts per thousand (PPT). Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the Centre and the state governments give 40 per cent subsidy to the general category, 60 per cent to the people of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes category and women to start shrimp farming. Under the scheme, the Centre and state governments contribute 60:40 per cent of the subsidy.

Nearly half of the total area of the state under shrimp farming is in Muktsar due to the availability of saline water caused by waterlogging.

Sources in the Fisheries Department said the net area under shrimp farming had not just declined, but hardly any farmer was now showing interest in it. For instance, the department received applications for new ponds on only 10 acres in the district in the ongoing financial year.

A farmer, who had started shrimp farming in 2022, said, “We were two partners, who had started shrimp farming on seven acres. However, when I could not make any profit for two years, I left the practice this year. There is hardly any local demand. Buyers come from Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, who further export it. They do not give a good price, therefore, many farmers have left shrimp farming.”

Kewal Krishan, Assistant Director, Fisheries Department, Muktsar, said, “The prices remained low in the past two years, but now fresh harvesting has started and the prices are good. The average price of 1 kg shrimp (40 counts of 25 gm each) is Rs 320. We are hopeful that more farmers will show interest in it now.”

Meanwhile, Randhir Singh, a shrimp farmer from Thehri village here, said, “The harvesting has just started and the price of shrimp remains Rs 350-355 per kg. We are hopeful that prices will go up shortly. It is a fact that some farmers left shrimp farming over the past two years as the prices remained low. The input costs have increased and we have to pay electricity bills according to the tariff for commercial connections. If the state government can’t provide us free electricity like other farmers, then it should decrease the power tariff.”

Notably, the shrimp farming was started in the district on a trial basis with the efforts of then CM Parkash Singh Badal in 2016. It takes nearly Rs 14 lakh to dig a pond on 2.5 acres, buy seeds, feed and equipment. A farmer can avail benefits of subsidy if he has up to 5 acres under the practice.