South Gujarat revs up shrimp output to 45,000 MT in 10 years

SURAT: South Gujarat has become the largest shrimp producing region in western India and third in the country after Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. From 300 metric tonne in 2009, shrimp production has crossed 45,000 metric tonne per annum in 2019, generating an annual turnover of Rs 2,000 crore.
Gujarat Aqua Feed Dealers’ Association (GAFDA) president Manoj Sharma said, “There is a huge potential to increase shrimp farming in Gujarat, particularly in south Gujarat.There is 3.75 lakh hectare of brakishwater land available in Gujarat, of which hardly 2% is under cultivation.”
Sharma added, “About 800 farmers are involved in shrimp farming on about 7,000 hectare of brackish water land in Surat, Bharuch, Navsari and Valsad. These farmers give direct employment to more than 25,000 people and indirect employment to approximately 30,000 people.”
In his presentation at national brakishwater aquaculture farmers’ conclave organized by Central Institute of Brakishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) in the city on Thursday, Sharma said domestic consumption of shrimps in India is negligible and that about 90% of the production is exported to the United States, China, Japan, West Asia, China and Vietnam.
Sharma said majority of farmers grow venami variety of shrimps. In one hectare of land, farmers can cultivate 5,000 kilogram of shrimps having international value of $30,000. Even if we consider 10% profit, farmers earn $3,000 in a single crop.
Pradip Navik, vice-president of Gujarat Aquaculture Association (GAA), told TOI, “Gujarat has capacity to produce over Rs10,000 crore worth of shrimps, but we are not getting government support when it comes to allotment of land. Majority of brakishwater land is owned by the government in the coastal areas of the state.”
Rahul Bhagwagar, a shrimp farmer from Olpad, who owns 300 ponds, said, “I started with two ponds 10 years ago and now own 250 of them. We have been cultivating 1,400 tonne of shrimps per annum.”
Nehal Gandhi, who owns 400 shrimp ponds in Borsi and Machad villages in Navsari district, said, “Atmosphere and water quality in south Gujarat are conducive for shrimp farming. We want some support from the government to take the blue revolution to a much higher scale. At present, we are cultivating 1,200 tonne per annum.”