Odisha is the second biggest producer of tiger shrimp in India after West Bengal, thanks to an overdrive of the Department of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development (DoFARD).
Department Secretary Bishnupada Sethi reviewed the programme with senior officials recently. During the year 2015-16, India’s tiger shrimp production was 81,452 MT, according to the reports of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).
A majority of it – about 76 per cent or 61,998 MT – was reported from West Bengal, while Odisha followed it up with 11.28 per cent or 9,191 MT.
But as far as productivity per hectare is concerned, Odisha is ahead of West Bengal. Odisha’s productivity per hectare per year is 2.01 MT as compared to 1.23 MT in West Bengal.
West Bengal utilizes 50,593 hectares for tiger shrimp culture as against Odisha’s 4,552 hectares. The DoFARD has been making all efforts to popularise tiger shrimp culture in the State to further increase the production.
Other major tiger shrimp producing States are Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat. In fact, Indian seafood business is on the verge of a major transformation, like the one ushered in by the exotic vannamei shrimp, disease-free black tiger shrimp, native to Indian waters.
Farmers are making foray into the sixth generation of tiger shrimp and trial farming in Odisha using bio-secure enclosures, has produced good results,” said an official of DoFARD.
He said that commercial-scale aquaculture using genetically-improved black tiger shrimp should be on in about five years.
With it, black tiger shrimp will join Atlantic salmon, Pacific vannamei and unisex tilapia in the roster of genetically-improved varieties. These stocks are capable of doubling productivity, said the official pointing out what it meant to the seafood export business in the country.
Genetically improved, farmed tilapia yield is near five tonnes per hectare; vannamei yield is 3.5 to five tonnes and black tiger shrimp yield has been three tonnes. Farmers get Rs 300 a kg of 30-count vannamei and the price of tiger shrimp is higher.
Besides a surge in production, acquiring a genetic base for aquaculture means more eco-friendly, sustainable business, he said.