CIFA’s GI scampi to give new life to fish farming
BHUBANESWAR: Scampi farming is all set to undergo a sea change in the country with a new strain developed by city-based Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), a premier research centre of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
CIFA has developed a genetically improved strain of freshwater prawn ‘Macrobrachium rosenbergii’. Named as CIFA-GI Scampi, the new variety will enhance productivity and profitability.The new freshwater prawn variety has been developed as part of a collaborative endeavour of CIFA with WorldFish, Malaysia. The collaboration was meant to implement a systematic selective breeding programme to develop a fast-growing strain of scampi.
With the new strain, the Prime Minister Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) is poised to breathe a new life into scampi farming, which had declined in recent years. Principal investigator of PMMSY scampi project, Bindu R Pillai said the breeding programme spanned 14 generations and involved the meticulous selection of scampi populations sourced from geographically diverse regions, including Gujarat, Kerala, and Odisha.
“Through rigorous genetic selection protocols, CIFA has successfully developed the genetically improved fast-growing strain GI Scampi, which has received official registration marking a significant milestone in the field of aquaculture,” she said.
CIFA has been extended funding support to the tune of Rs 4 crore under PMMSY to upscale the genetic selection programme and strengthen the seed value chain through supply of improved brood stock to a network of multiplier hatcheries.
The ICAR institute has also demonstrated polyculture of scampi with carp. Bata Krushna Jena from Jajpur district has got an yield of 950 kg per hectare of GI Scampi and 7,530 kg per hectare of carps in just seven months. “This step exemplifies the success and potential of carp-scampi polyculture, offering promising opportunities for fish farmers across the state,” said Pillai.
Scampi production in the country has experienced a 2.5-fold increase, soaring from 8,303 tonne to 21,317 tonne in last one year. In a bid to support the rapid expansion, five scampi hatcheries have been selected as multiplier hatcheries by CIFA. “These hatcheries will produce GI Scampi seeds and supply to the farmers. We are adding more hatcheries to our network to reach an ambitious target of bringing 25,000 ha under scampi by 2026,” informed CIFA director Dr PK Sahoo.