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Empowers farmers in coastal belts with Vannamei shrimp farming
Farmlands marked as wastelands due to water logging or high salinity are no more waste! These can now be used for shrimp farming, a profitable venture. Dr. Manoj M. Sharma, Managing Director, Mayank Aquaculture started his journey all alone in the 1994 after completing the degree in aquaculture. He established the company in 2005 at Surat, Gujarat to provide the technical know-how and seedling for shrimp farming. He developed his own shrimp farms and also had joint ventures with Gujarat state Government to provide round-the-year assistance to progressive farmers. Dr. Manoj Sharma shares the details on intricacies in shrimp farming. Excerpts:
Dr. Manoj M. Sharma
Farmlands in coastal areas of Gujarat were left idle because these were unfit for horticulture farming! Mother nature has not created anything that can be termed as waste by humans. Man lack awareness and knowledge! Therefore soon after completing my Masters in aquaculture and Doctorate in shrimp farming in 1994 I did a pilot project of four ponds in Dandi village. The ponds were developed in 4 hectares with the assistance of Village Sarpanch Mr. Pradeep Navik. The success attained in shrimp cultivation was eye opener for farmers residing in 22 villages across Olpad taluk, Surat district, Gujarat. Consequently as of date the south Gujarat has more than 7000 pond for shrimp culture empowering 800 plus farmers-entrepreneurs providing employment to numerous people.
Shrimp farming can be done in any area having the saline water. There are two varieties of shrimp, black tiger shrimp and whiteleg shrimp. Looking at the present scenario farmers are recommended to go for whiteleg shrimp farming as it is completely pathogen free species, ideal for bio-security.
It is a variety of prawn known as Litopenaeus Vannamei or Pacific White Shrimp, originated from the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is commonly caught or reared for food. Whiteleg Shrimp culture is preferred for its large size therefore sold at premium price that implies good profits for farmers. Presently the annual production of white shrimp in India is more than 4 lakh ton.
Minimum area needed for a viable commercial shrimp pond is five hectare. It includes reservoir and culture pond. Capital investment shall be Rs. 10 lakh/hectare. Initially it looks high intensive project but it has the potential to give return on investment with 2-3 years! Farmers turning entrepreneur with this project must take it up with passion and perseverance to do the business with discipline and commitment.
The prerequisites for shrimp culture are 24 hour electricity connection. It is cultured in the water having 15-25 ppt. If the water has less than 7 ppt then it is not possible to rear the shrimp. It can tolerate temperatures up to at least 37.5°C. Mortalities occur at temperatures below 12°C only. It grows at fast pace when fed either with animal or vegetable protein. 1 acre farm must have 4-5 aerators and sludge removing machine. Good site for developing the shrimp farm, disease free seedling, 24/7 personal attention on the farm are the three main factors to be implemented to attain success in this business.
Seedlings of Vannamei shrimp are easily available at different Government of India registered hatcheries (Farmers can find about these registered hatcheries from Coastal Aquaculture Authority, India).
The cost of seedling is stable since last two decades that 50 paisa/seed. The day the seedlings are released in the pond, it takes 120-150 days to harvest shrimp depending on the size. The weight of this shrimp variety varies from 10-50 gram and selling price differs accordingly. Bigger the size higher is the profit. As per the International standards 30 shrimp counts make a kilo that is sold at more than Rs. 400/kg. If the shrimp count is more than 30 in one kg then price would increase by Rs. 8 and if it is less than 30 the selling price reduces by Rs. 8 per kg.
Selling is not a hassle for farmers as the nation has more than 400 seafood processors who readily buy shrimp for exports. Initially more than 80% of Vannamei shrimp was exported but slowly the domestic market has also been developed! However till date all the bigger size shrimps are exported while the smaller sizes are sold in the domestic market. It is well organized sector. India has 1.2 million hectare area available for shrimp farming out of which only 10-15% has been developed so far. There is another 85% untapped potential to be exhausted hence it is a promising business.
Farmers can contact Mayank Aquaculture for all the assistance required for seedling, technical intricacies and medicine free farming practices. I have developed a system for biological management of shrimp farm where there is no need to use any antibiotics to deal with diseases. Shrimps are protein rich food items hence must not be contaminated with medicines or antibiotics.
Aquaculture has answers to all the burning questions faced by the government today that are unemployment, hunger and malnutrition. The success attained in Gujarat with Vannamei Shrimp farming can surely be replicated in all 11 coastal districts across the nation. Above all shrimp is the cost effective protein that assures good health for every Indian. It shall be ideal if Government starts some campaign to enhance the awareness on the consuming shrimps similar to the tag line to consume eggs everyday ‘Sunday ho ya Monday, roz khaye Anday’! Similarly aquaculture needs a boost with slogans like ‘Grow Fish Get Rich’ , ‘Grow Prawn Get Gold’ and so on. Aquaculture has the power to feed the forever growing population beyond 2030!!
(As told to Shweta Dhanuka)
Contact details:
Mayank Aquaculture Private Limited
Office - 205, Suryadarshan Complex, Near CNG Gas Station, Jahangirpura, Surat, Gujarat 395009 India
Phone: 9825412857, 9824112856
Email: mapl.shrimp@gmail.com
Farmlands marked as wastelands due to water logging or high salinity are no more waste! These can now be used for shrimp farming, a profitable venture. Dr. Manoj M. Sharma, Managing Director, Mayank Aquaculture started his journey all alone in the 1994 after completing the degree in aquaculture. He established the company in 2005 at Surat, Gujarat to provide the technical know-how and seedling for shrimp farming. He developed his own shrimp farms and also had joint ventures with Gujarat state Government to provide round-the-year assistance to progressive farmers. Dr. Manoj Sharma shares the details on intricacies in shrimp farming. Excerpts:
Dr. Manoj M. Sharma
Farmlands in coastal areas of Gujarat were left idle because these were unfit for horticulture farming! Mother nature has not created anything that can be termed as waste by humans. Man lack awareness and knowledge! Therefore soon after completing my Masters in aquaculture and Doctorate in shrimp farming in 1994 I did a pilot project of four ponds in Dandi village. The ponds were developed in 4 hectares with the assistance of Village Sarpanch Mr. Pradeep Navik. The success attained in shrimp cultivation was eye opener for farmers residing in 22 villages across Olpad taluk, Surat district, Gujarat. Consequently as of date the south Gujarat has more than 7000 pond for shrimp culture empowering 800 plus farmers-entrepreneurs providing employment to numerous people.
Shrimp farming can be done in any area having the saline water. There are two varieties of shrimp, black tiger shrimp and whiteleg shrimp. Looking at the present scenario farmers are recommended to go for whiteleg shrimp farming as it is completely pathogen free species, ideal for bio-security.
It is a variety of prawn known as Litopenaeus Vannamei or Pacific White Shrimp, originated from the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is commonly caught or reared for food. Whiteleg Shrimp culture is preferred for its large size therefore sold at premium price that implies good profits for farmers. Presently the annual production of white shrimp in India is more than 4 lakh ton.
Minimum area needed for a viable commercial shrimp pond is five hectare. It includes reservoir and culture pond. Capital investment shall be Rs. 10 lakh/hectare. Initially it looks high intensive project but it has the potential to give return on investment with 2-3 years! Farmers turning entrepreneur with this project must take it up with passion and perseverance to do the business with discipline and commitment.
The prerequisites for shrimp culture are 24 hour electricity connection. It is cultured in the water having 15-25 ppt. If the water has less than 7 ppt then it is not possible to rear the shrimp. It can tolerate temperatures up to at least 37.5°C. Mortalities occur at temperatures below 12°C only. It grows at fast pace when fed either with animal or vegetable protein. 1 acre farm must have 4-5 aerators and sludge removing machine. Good site for developing the shrimp farm, disease free seedling, 24/7 personal attention on the farm are the three main factors to be implemented to attain success in this business.
Seedlings of Vannamei shrimp are easily available at different Government of India registered hatcheries (Farmers can find about these registered hatcheries from Coastal Aquaculture Authority, India).
The cost of seedling is stable since last two decades that 50 paisa/seed. The day the seedlings are released in the pond, it takes 120-150 days to harvest shrimp depending on the size. The weight of this shrimp variety varies from 10-50 gram and selling price differs accordingly. Bigger the size higher is the profit. As per the International standards 30 shrimp counts make a kilo that is sold at more than Rs. 400/kg. If the shrimp count is more than 30 in one kg then price would increase by Rs. 8 and if it is less than 30 the selling price reduces by Rs. 8 per kg.
Selling is not a hassle for farmers as the nation has more than 400 seafood processors who readily buy shrimp for exports. Initially more than 80% of Vannamei shrimp was exported but slowly the domestic market has also been developed! However till date all the bigger size shrimps are exported while the smaller sizes are sold in the domestic market. It is well organized sector. India has 1.2 million hectare area available for shrimp farming out of which only 10-15% has been developed so far. There is another 85% untapped potential to be exhausted hence it is a promising business.
Farmers can contact Mayank Aquaculture for all the assistance required for seedling, technical intricacies and medicine free farming practices. I have developed a system for biological management of shrimp farm where there is no need to use any antibiotics to deal with diseases. Shrimps are protein rich food items hence must not be contaminated with medicines or antibiotics.
Aquaculture has answers to all the burning questions faced by the government today that are unemployment, hunger and malnutrition. The success attained in Gujarat with Vannamei Shrimp farming can surely be replicated in all 11 coastal districts across the nation. Above all shrimp is the cost effective protein that assures good health for every Indian. It shall be ideal if Government starts some campaign to enhance the awareness on the consuming shrimps similar to the tag line to consume eggs everyday ‘Sunday ho ya Monday, roz khaye Anday’! Similarly aquaculture needs a boost with slogans like ‘Grow Fish Get Rich’ , ‘Grow Prawn Get Gold’ and so on. Aquaculture has the power to feed the forever growing population beyond 2030!!
(As told to Shweta Dhanuka)
Contact details:
Mayank Aquaculture Private Limited
Office - 205, Suryadarshan Complex, Near CNG Gas Station, Jahangirpura, Surat, Gujarat 395009 India
Phone: 9825412857, 9824112856
Email: mapl.shrimp@gmail.com
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