Defective seed supplied by some of the unauthorised hatcheries is posing a threat to the culture of vannamei shrimp in Andhra Pradesh, and it is imperative that the State government take steps for supply of quality seed, according to many aqua farmers who participated in the Aqua Aquaria 2015 which concluded here on Sunday.

Farmers’ demand

Most of the farmers’ representatives, including K Narayana, Member of Parliament from Machilipatnam and himself an aqua farmer, said the brood stock was being imported from the US through Chennai port.

Quarantine facilities and brood stock multiplication centres should be set up on priority basis for supply of quality seed, they said. Otherwise, vannamei shrimp culture would face the same problems as the monodon (tiger shrimp) faced some years ago in the State, they added.

The farmers also said the applications for digging new aqua ponds were not being cleared promptly and there were too many procedural hassles. They should be addressed.

The seafood industry representatives wanted fisheries colleges and also a university to be set up in the State, as there was a huge dearth of skilled personnel in the sector.

Land offered

Viswanadha Raju of the Ananda Group at Bhimavaram in West Godavari district offered land for setting up the fisheries university. “We are setting up an aqua park at Bhimavaram at an initial investment of Rs 356 crore. It is coming up on 60 acres,” he said.

The need for providing more finance for the sector and insurance facilities was also highlighted by many speakers. Several speakers also said the MPEDA should offer more incentives to farmers and processors in the State.

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