CHALLENGES OF SHRIMP FARMING WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO BUSINESS STABILITY AND PROFITABILITY

Shrimp aquaculture is facing tremendous pressure on the business stability and its sustainability. Recently low prices in export markets, disease prevalence and lack of proper awareness has caused many farms under loss or break even or marginal profits in 2018. We do encounter significantly less stockings in all maritime states of India for the instability of the shrimp production.   Sustainability and business stability is the main issue for the sustainable shrimp farming.

The pace of growth of vannamei farming in India has been impressive but for further expansion and sustainability, the main issue is the lack of availability of quality seed from SPF broodstock. Self-pollution of nearby farms and contamination happened generally in many farms as one farm's effluent is the source of other farm's intake. WSD, WFD, EHP, RMS are the most common diseases that have affected the profit margin.

Challenges:

• Market fluctuations/Selling price
• Increased production cost/Inflation
• Disease problem/Crop loss/no profit
• Technical set up/Organization
• Infrastructure & Implementation
• Technology exchanges/adoption
• Farm/Hatchery/stakeholders coordination/capacity building

Scope to improve:

To practice responsible aquaculture with strict biosecurity protocols and best management practices in culture systems. To promote shrimp as fish in national markets, consider insurance, incentives and subsidies from Govt. to foment shrimp aquaculture and its sustainability for long term business. Need to adapt changing technology, risk management, capacity building, and efficiency, innovate and evolve.