Shri Parshotam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Dr. L. Murugan, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying & Information Broadcasting at ICAR-CIBA campus, Raja Annamalaipuram, Chennai

Shri Parshotam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Govt. of India inaugurated and launched three national flagship programmes viz., Genetic Improvement Programme of Indian White Shrimp (Penaeus indicus), National Surveillance Programme on Fish Diseases, launching of aquaculture insurance product and laying a foundation stone for the Genetic Improvement Facility today at ICAR-CIBA campus, Raja Annamalaipuram, Chennai.

India is the third largest fish producing country with a fish production of 14.73 million metric tonnes and one of the largest exporters of farmed shrimps around 7 lakh tonnes.  However, the country loses about 7200 crores annually due to diseases. Therefore, early detection and managing the spread of diseases is considered crucial for controlling the diseases. Considering the importance, the Government of India is implemented the National Surveillance Programme for Aquatic Animal Diseases (NSPAAD) since 2013 with a major emphasis on strengthening farmer-based disease surveillance system, so that disease cases are reported at once, investigated and scientific support is provided to the farmers. The results of the first phase proved the reduction in revenue losses due to diseases, increased farmers’ income and exports. To continue the efforts with intensity, the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has sanctioned the NSPAAD: Phase-II under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana programme of the Govt. of India. The phase-II will be implemented at pan-India, and all the State Fisheries Departments along with Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) are expected to play an important role in this nationally important surveillance programme.

The farmed shrimp alone contributes about 70% of India’s seafood exports worth Rs. 42000 crores.However, the shrimp farming sector mostly depends on one exotic Specific Pathogen Free stock of Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) species. It is highly risky to depend on one species for the production of 10 lakh tonnes with huge investments on farming infrastructure and the livelihoods of two lakh farm families directly and around ten lakh families indirectly associated in the ancillary sectors. Therefore, to break this single species dependence and to promote indigenous species vis-à-vis exotic shrimp species ICAR-CIBA has taken up the genetic improvement of programme of Indian white shrimp, P. indicus as a national priority under the Make in India flagship program. CIBA has successfully optimized breeding protocol and demonstrated culture potential across different geographic location in coastal states using indigenous feed, indicus ^plus (35% Protein). Recognizing the importance of this initiative, the Department of Fisheries, Govt. of India have sanctioned the “Genetic improvement program of Penaeus indicus (Indian white shrimp)-Phase-I” with an outlay of Rs.25 crores under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) under the Central sector scheme to establish a National Genetic Improvement Facility for shrimp breeding. These programs will lead to “Atamanirbharata” for shrimp brood stock, which is at present imported from other countries.

Similarly, shrimp farming is labeled as “risky venture” and due to this, the banking and insurance institutions are cautious to take up business in shrimp sector. Contrary to this belief , India achieved about 430% growth in shrimp production during the last one decade which alone explains the overall profitability, growth and stability of the shrimp farming sector. Advances in the scientific technology coupled with stringent regulations imposed on aquaculture have made this giant leap possible. Majority of the aquaculture farmers are small farmers, own 2-3 ponds and face huge obstacles to raise working capital for the crop, due to lack of access to institutional credit and insurance. The loss of one crop due to natural calamities or viral diseases make the farmers fall into deep debts as they are to repay the loans taken for the crop and also raise money for next crop season. CIBA has estimated Rs 1000 to 1500 crores as the business potential of shrimp crop insurance per year and a micro credit requirement of over Rs. 8,000 to 10,000 crores per annum, which is now being serviced by informal creditors at higher interest rates. Therefore, it is very important to establish farmers’ access to insurance and institutional credit facilitated by an insurance scheme that will help the in doubling farmers’ income in much faster time frame.

ICAR-CIBA developed a Shrimp Crop Insurance product with the support of Alliance Insurance brokers which was filed with the IRDAI by Oriental Insurance Company Limited, New Delhi in October 2022. The product charges differential premium based on location and requirements of the individual farmer from 3.7 to 7.7 % of input costs and farmer will be compensated to the tune of 80 % loss of input cost in the event of total crop loss. i.e., more than 70% crop loss.

During this event, Dr. L. Murugan, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying & Information Broadcasting, Govt. of India; Shri. Jatindra Nath Swain IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri. Karthik IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries and Fishermen welfare, Govt of Tamil Nadu, Shri. Balalji, Joint Secretary, Fisheries, and Dr. Joykrushna Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries Science), ICAR were also present.

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SS/IG