VIJAYAWADA: Aquaculture is revitalising hopes among Krishna district farmers who abandoned agriculture due to losses. With higher profits, 21,834 farmers have shifted to aquaculture in the past two years. The number of aqua farmers rose from 23,801 in 2022 to 45,635, including 8,903 from non-aqua zones.
The aquaculture area has expanded significantly, reaching 1,44,702 acres. Of this, 1,07,970 acres are in aqua zones, while 36,732 acres are in non-aqua zones. In 2022, the total aquaculture land was 88,000 acres. Farmers are cultivating inland fish, freshwater prawns, brackish water shrimp, marine fish, and marine shrimp.
According to the Krishna district Fisheries Department, aquaculture production for 2024-25 reached 9,80,311 metric tonnes, placing the district second in the State. The breakdown includes 4,84,248 MT of inland fish, 2,42,249 MT of brackish water shrimp, 2,86,616 MT of freshwater prawns, 10,441 MT of marine shrimp, and 36,802 MT of marine fish.
The fisheries sector’s Gross Value Added (GVA) for Krishna district exceeded Rs 20,000 crore this year. Krishna District Fisheries Joint Director Ch. Nagababu stated that the government is supporting farmers financially and providing necessary equipment. He added that license approvals for non-aqua zones take 15 days, while those in aqua zones are processed within days.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the District Level Sanction (DLS) committee, chaired by the district Collector, approved 787 units for eligible farmers.
Officials are working to make Krishna district the State’s top aquaculture producer.