VIJAYAWADA: The Aqua Empowered Committee of Ministers headed by Minister for Energy Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, met at his camp office here on Wednesday. The committee asserted that the government will provide a handhold to aqua sector to enable it overcome the crisis.
The ministers underlined the need for better coordination among aqua farmers, processing units, seed and feed manufacturers to give a boost to the aqua sector. Stating that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy constituted the empowered committee to resolve the issues related to aqua sector, they emphasised the need for continuous monitoring of aqua product prices. Officials should resolve the issues in consultation with aqua farmers and the management of processing units.
AP has a better mechanism to monitor prices of aqua seed, feed and quality of products. The prices of aqua products have declined in the State because of price fluctuations in international markets. Hence, the officials should focus on storage and explore ways to stabilise prices of aqua products, the committee said.
Informing that they are taking all measures to ensure minimum support prices to aqua farmers, the officials told the committee that standard operating procedures were evolved pertaining to prices of seed, feed and aqua products.
The prices are being uploaded on the department portal, besides monitoring the prices of aqua products in the international market as well as in different States in the country. Stating that traders are fixing the prices of aqua products as per market trends, the officials said the price of 100 count prawns was fixed at Rs 210 per kg after consultations with traders.