Those farming fish, mud crab and others were getting good yields in Andhra Pradesh, said director of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA) S. Kandan on Sunday. Many farmers have taken up farming seabass, mud crab, catla, rohu and others and were exporting their produce to neighbouring states and other countries, where there was high demand, he added.
Mr. Kandan, who was here to participate in ‘Fish India 2023’, visited a few ponds, along with RGCA principal scientific officer B. Appala Naidu and former MPEDA officer K. Shanmuka Rao, in Krishna district.
“RGCA, the research and development arm of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), is visiting shrimp, mud crab and fish tanks in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and other states, and offering hands-on training to farmers,” he said.
Training to farmers
“We are maintaining seabass ( Pandugappa in Telugu), mud crab, cobia and tilapia hatcheries and supplying quality seeds to aquaculture farmers across the country. Besides, training is being imparted to farmers on best cage culture, feed and pond management,” Dr. Kandan told The Hindu.
Several farmers, who suffered losses due to drop in shrimp prices and poor exports, were rearing fish, mud crab and other species, according to a former CEO of National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture (NaCSA), an outreach organisation of MPEDA.
Good demand
M. Bhagawan Raju, who farmed seabass, said that there was good demand for the fish and that it was also being exported to other States. “We can sell Pandugappa, weighing about 1 kg for ₹300 to ₹350. If the fish grows up to weigh 3 kg, the price will be ₹1,500 and above,” said Mr. Raju, showing a 4-kg fish to MPEDA officers at his pond in Patheru village near Machilipatnam.
“RGCA supplied Pandugappa seed to Bhagawan Raju. The demand for seabass and mud crab seed is high in the State,” said Mr. Appala Naidu, who was in charge of the tilapia research project at Manikonda in Krishna district.