The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Ryots urged to improve export value

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Thursday, Nov 13, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Ryots urged to improve export value

Staff Reporter

Seminar held on aquaculture

Concern over pollution caused to water sources
Spiralling feed cost worries farmers

BHIMAVARAM: The seminar on freshwater aquaculture held here on Wednesday under the aegis of the Byrraju Foundation highlighted the need to focus on improvement of water quality to save aqua products from deadly diseases.

Lack of pond hygiene, poor soil and water quality were found to be conducive for epidemic breakout in aquaculture, the seminar noted. Canals and drains, the chief water source for aqua ponds, had become a dumping ground for industrial pollutants, agricultural runoffs and urban sewage in the delta parts of the district.

‘Avoid antibiotics’

P. Krishnaiah, Chief Executive, National Fisheries Development Board, who was the chief guest at the programme, asked the farmers to avoid use of antibiotics and improve the export value of their aqua products. He stated that the government had initiated the Rs. 30-crore pilot project on ‘disease-free seed development’ in Visakhapatnam and Orissa. Efforts were under way for field trials on culturing of ‘vannamei’, a disease-free white prawn imported from the U.S., in the Indian environment as a substitute to tiger prawn prone to diseases. The farmers, who spoke at the meeting, expressed serious concern over sharp increase in the feed cost, resulting in increase of production cost in aquaculture. The cost of feed per tonne shot up to Rs. 60,000 from Rs. 40,000 in the last three months. There were no price control measures from the government, the aqua farmers protested.

‘e-aqua’

V.S.N. Raju, Lead Partner, Byrraju Foundation, informed that the foundation had introduced an online platform named ‘e-aqua’ for aqua farmers to ventilate their problems through the Net. V. Ramachandra Raju of Delta Fish Farmers’ Association urged the government to make available bank finance for aquaculture with least rate of interest.

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Andhra Pradesh