VIJAYAWADA: The months from April to June is the harvesting season for fish and prawn in the State as the temperatures are conducive for processing, packing and export. But unfortunately, with the COVID-19 crisis, the aquaculture sector was badly hit and the damage is yet to be assessed, but experts say that significant losses could not be ruled out.
Aqua farmers say though they are producing enough, there is a lack of market for their produce due to COVID-19 crisis and subsequent worker shortage. Further, market transactions across the country have slowed down, which has resulted in price drop.
Shrimp and fish farming is extensively taken up in twin-Godavari districts (East and West), Krishna, Prakasam, Nellore and to an extent in Guntur districts. Situation is not so good in any of the districts and all the aqua farmers are doing now is to pray for the return of normalcy.
Of the fish produced in Andhra Pradesh, 75 to 80 per cent of Indian major carps (Catla, Rohu and Mrigal) are consumed in Eastern India and in North India, while 90 per cent of Pangasius is consumed in North India. A majority of the shrimp produced is exported to the US, European Union, China and Japan. Local consumption of the fish and shrimp is less. In other other words, the domestic market is not the main income generation avenue for the aqua farmers.
In Nellore district, aquaculture is taken up in 11,400 hectares in all 12 coastal mandals. Mostly it is shrimp, which is marketed to other countries. However, during the first half of the lockdown -- from the last week of March to June first week — aqua exporters are facing twin-pronged problems, shipping to other countries has been restricted and lack of manpower for packing. Exports of aqua products to other countries have dropped in April and May by 30 per cent this year when compared to last year.
In Prakasam, shrimp/pisciculture is taken up in 29,000 acres and the harvest was good this year. Though the farmers supplied shrimp to processing plants, shortage of workers has proved to be a stumbling block.
“Since lockdown restrictions are in force, we are facing shortage of skilled labourers as most of the aquafarm caretakers are from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Odisha, West Bengal and other places. They went to their native places in April-end and haven’t returned yet. Somehow we are pulling through. Usually, we sell our produce to the local processing unit agents and they, in turn, export it to China, UK, America and the like. But due to ongoing stand-off between India and China, exports to that country were hit and taking it as pretext, export agents are not offering a good price for our produce,” K Suresh Kumar, an aqua farmer from Ongole said.
Speaking to TNIE, Suryamitra Group of Companies managing director Surya Rao Irrinki said shortage of workers is the major problem. “ Due to shortage of workers, 300 tonnes of produce in the company unprocessed. It is perishable and if it is not processed in time, we will suffer heavy losses,” he said. Only 150 out of 1,000 workers are coming to the company, though it is taking all protective measures. Owing to huge demand from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other places, fish farmers in Nellore harvested the crop, but owing to restrictions, the prices have dropped.
Krishna district fisheries department jointr director Sk Lal Mohamed said due to dip in the demand, there has been a fall in fish exports. About 350 to 400 truckloads of fish used to be exported to other States earlier; it has reduced to 150 and 200 trucks now.
(With inputs from D Surendra Kumar, Nellore and IVNP Prasad Babu, Ongole)