Punjab declares 50% subsidy on shrimp production

CHANDIGARH, 22 October 2016 : In order to increase shrimp production in the state, Punjab state government has announced 50 per cent subsidy in shrimp production.

The decision on the subsidy was taken by the chief minister, Prakash Singh Badal after meeting fish rearers and fishery experts on the state recently.

After the meeting, speaking to reporters, Badal asked fish rearers to set up shrimp producers’ society with fair representation of fish farmers, experts of fishery from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) and state fisheries department officials to enhance the shrimp production on scientific lines.

The chief minister also highlighted the success of Andhra Pradesh in shrimp production and was impressed upon to send a delegation of progressive farmers to Andhra Pradesh to update their knowledge about the latest techniques of shrimp production.

Full support to shrimp farmers

Badal also directed the Additional Chief Secretary (Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries) to send the interested fish farmers for training at Indian Council for Agricultural Research-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (ICAR-CIFE) located at Rohtak, Harynana to learn about the emerging techniques of shrimp production besides the significance of quality water check.

Assuring progressive farmers, Badal said that he will ask the central government to set up a ICAR-CIFE Centre in Punjab so that fishery can be promoted in a big scale across the state, as currently farmers has to go for training in Rohtak centre.

He also asked the fisheries department to tie up with the society to check the quality of water on regular basis to ensure maximum shrimp production both in terms of quality and quantity.

Quality of fish seed, feed

Chief minister also directed the Director and Warden Fisheries to tie up with the top most companies to supply quality fish feed and seed to the fish farmers so as to enable them to reap maximum profit out of this business.

Badal asked the ACS (Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries) to ensure marketing support to the fish farmers of the state so as to encourage them to adopt fishery as an alternate occupation to get out from the rut of conventional wheat-paddy rotation.

Nod for purchase of insulated vehicle for shrimp transport

Badal also gave its nod to the fishereis department to purchase of insulated vehicle for the transportation of shrimp from the fish farms to the nearest fish market outlets.

I hope that this Centre would certainly prove to be a milestone in enhancing the fish production as state has a proven track record of the highest fish production in the country, Badal stressed.

Shrimp, the Litopenaeus vannamei, is commonly known as Jhinga fish is very popular and has seen tremendous growth in consumption across the state.