Centre for shrimp farming in North

Blue Revolution

♦ CIFE developed technology to fortify deficient ions in inland saline water

♦ It’s used make it suitable for shrimp and other species of aquaculture

♦ Farmers with infertile lands are finding shrimp farming a good alternative

♦ Under PMMSY, the Centre and the State govt provide 40% subsidy to farmers

In order to convert wastelands into sites for lucrative economic activity, the central government has decided to promote shrimp farming in four northern states-Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The Department of Fisheries (DoF), under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, has decided to increase shrimp farming manifold in the four States, official sources told Bizz Buzz.

Salinization of groundwater in inland States has created major economic, social, and environmental problems, affecting around 8.62 million hectares of land mainly in the four states. However, saline groundwater could be economically viable through aquaculture practices in which a large proportion of water could be evapo-transpired from aquaculture ponds and produce income generating fish, prawn, and shrimp crops.

Currently, shrimp production in the four states is 8,554.15 tonnes per year, from 2,167 hectare of saline water aquaculture. These States have 58,000 hectare area suitable for saline water aquaculture.

In order to promote species diversification in saline water aquaculture in these areas, the DoF recently cleared a project under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) to Central Institute of Fisheries Education, (CIFE), Rohtak, for genetic improvement at a total cost of Rs9.29 crore.

The CIFE has developed technology to fortify deficient ions in inland saline water and make it suitable for shrimp and other species of aquaculture with support of the DoF.

Farmers with infertile lands are finding shrimp farming a good alternative. In the Malwa region of Punjab, for instance, many farmers are reportedly earning Rs4-5 lakh per acre per year from their land which had become infertile years ago.

Under the PMMSY, the Centre and the State government provide 40 per cent subsidy to farmers; in the case of shrimp farming by Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and women farmers, the subsidy goes up to 60 per cent.