The Odisha Government has been urged to utilise the defunct World Bank-funded Jagatjore-Banapada shrimp culture project to promote Indian Vannamei shrimp variety which is in high demand.
The Sea Food Exporters Association of India (SFEAI), Odisha unit has given the proposal to revive the project.
Chief Secretary GC Pati, responding to the proposal of SFEAI, held a meeting recently to chart out future course of action. Revenue and Disaster Management Principal Secretary Mona Sharma, Fisheries and ARD Secretary Bishnupada Sethi and MSME Secretary Panchnan Das were present.
SFEAI president G Mohanty presented the status of the defunct project assisted by World Bank to promote shrimp culture in the State. The project is having 481 ponds with a gross area of 485 hectares, which was initiated in 1992-93 and completed in 2000 with a project cost of Rs 25.23 crore. Out of these ponds, 405 ponds were given to beneficiaries of lower income group and 76 ponds were allotted to entrepreneurs.
Shrimp culture was taken up in 2001-2002 while beneficiaries were provided with working capital worth Rs 81 lakh. Due to outbreak of white spot disease in Tiger Prawn, both farmers and entrepreneurs sustained heavy losses for which the project was defunct. The infrastructure was left unutilized and now is in completely damaged condition.
Mohanty suggested that the State Government is needed to form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for providing the infrastructure facilities like electricity and roads and then allot the entrepreneurs for taking up shrimp culture activities.
It may be pointed out that it was earlier decided to sell out the project for which coast calculation was done. Now it has been decided to lease out the areas for shrimp culture and a long term lease policy is needed to be framed for which a transparent mechanism is needed to be adopted.
The State Government will issue an advertisement seeking Expression of Interest (EoI) from the experienced bidders for annual lease rental. A dedicated feeder and improved approach road is needed to be developed for which cost estimation will be prepared by the Directorate of Fisheries.
The SFEAI president said that from the facility at least 900 metric ton of prawn can be produced in a year. l Vannamei varieties are high in demand in the international market, which will yield high value.