VIJAYAWADA: Prawn farmers who depend predominantly on diesel to run their pumps have to find an alternative even to reach a breakeven, let alone making a profit. Ninety-five per cent of farmers use diesel engines to change water in prawn tanks on a regular basis.

Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) deputy director S. Anis says it costs between Rs. 60 and Rs. 70 to run a five HP engine with diesel for an hour and just Rs. 11 with electricity (even at the commercial rate of Rs. 3.50 per unit).

It takes six hours for a five HP engine to change 20 per cent of the water in a one-hectare tank.

Water has to be changed on a daily basis during the 120-day season. Ninetyfive per cent of the prawn farmers depend on diesel for their pumping needs despite the high cost, because power supply is not available to them.

Tide factor

Electricity, at 90 paise a unit (the agricultural rate), is available to some prawn farmers for 14 hours a day, but the period of supply to these connections has been slashed to seven hours a day, forcing them to depend on diesel. Another problem with power supply for prawn culture is that the timing of power supply should synchronise with that of the tide. Water is pumped into prawn tanks only during high tide and let off at low tide. The clean, nutrient-rich water brought in by the tide is used to change water in the tanks.

Hike in the diesel price has adversely affected prawn culture in Krishna district, Mr Anis says.

Many have not gone for a crop this year.

MPEDA is conducting a survey in 11 mandals along the coastline to assess the situation. Information like area under cultivation in each mandal, ownership details, area in which prawn cultivation has been abandoned and the difficulties of reviving cultivation in the areas is being compiled.

Major challenge

While the power distribution companies are prepared to meet the required demand they are not ready to lay transmission lines, Mr. Anis says.

Discoms' offer

The power distribution companies have told him that laying of one kilometre of power line costs between Rs 1.70 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh. They are ready to supply required power, if farmers are ready to pay the cost of laying the line.

"This is the big challenge before us. We have written to the MPEDA headquarters seeking help and we are also trying to contact some agencies and NGOs to help us surmount this challenge," he says.

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