VISAKHAPATNAM, 26 June 2025: A promising venture has turned into a source of despair for thousands of aquaculture farmers in Andhra Pradesh. After abandoning shrimp cultivation due to devastating viral outbreaks and mounting losses, a large-scale shift to murrel (snakehead) fish farming is now facing a severe crisis as market prices have catastrophically collapsed, leaving cultivators in deep financial trouble.

The pivot to murrel was fueled by its high retail value, which once soared to ₹700 per kilogram, attracting immense interest from farmers across the state's coastal belt, particularly in the Godavari districts. Known for its desirable taste and minimal bones, the fish quickly gained traction among consumers.

However, the surge in cultivation led to a market glut, causing a dramatic price crash. From a high of ₹650 per kg in January 2023, the price for murrel had plummeted to a distressing ₹300 per kg by mid-2025.

"We saw murrel as our way out of the shrimp farming losses," lamented Bandaru Trinath Babu, a farmer from Akividu. "But the cultivation cycle is eight months long, with input costs around ₹180 per kilogram. At the current market rates, we are staring at the grim possibility of not even breaking even."

Andhra Pradesh holds the top position in aquaculture in India, with the National Fisheries Development Board reporting over 2.12 lakh hectares dedicated to it. The decline of the once-dominant Vannamei shrimp, following a severe viral epidemic in 2018, had pushed farmers to explore alternatives like murrel and seabass.

The initial excitement surrounding murrel's profitability has now been replaced by widespread caution. Compounding the farmers' woes is a growing skepticism among consumers. Many report that the farmed variety of murrel does not match the rich flavour of its wild counterpart. Furthermore, concerns regarding the potential use of excessive pesticides in the farming process have dampened consumer enthusiasm, contributing to the fall in demand.