Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala inaugurated Second Edition of ICAR-CIBA’s (ICAR-Central Institute of Brackish water Aquaculture) Shrimp Farmers Conclave-2023 at the Navsari Agricultural University Campus in Gujarat today. About 410 aqua farmers across the coastal districts of Gujarat participated in the conclave.

In his address, Shri Parshottam Rupala conveyed his gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, for approving the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampadan Yojana with the financial outlay of Rs. 20,050 crores for the sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture sector. This paved the way for developing a project implemented by ICAR-CIBA on “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) to establish a National Genetic Improvement Facility for shrimp breeding. Union Minister Shri Rupala congratulated CIBA scientists for developing a therapeutic EHP-Cura-I for the control of EHP disease in shrimp and asked them to make available the farmers at the earliest. The Minister also launched the Shrimp Crop Insurance scheme developed by the Agricultural Insurance Company (AIC) with the support of ICAR-CIBA during the occasion in the presence of the Chairman cum Managing Director of AIC, Smt. Grija Subramanian.

Two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) were signed between CIBA and National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB); CIBA and Fish Farmers Producer Organization (FFPO) of Gujarat respectively for implementing the crop insurance for aquaculture with premium subsidy offered by the NFDB and technology support for the FFPO. Shri Rupala also handed over a sum Rs.40.05 Lakhs income earned by the SC, ST and Cage Culture beneficiaries of Navsari region through adoption of CIBA technologies for the livelihood development supported by NGRC-CIBA scientists. Navsari-Gujarat Regional centre of CIBA is doing good services to the aqua farmers of Gujarat and other inland saline areas of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana and Shri Rupala advised the Department of Fisheries of Gujarat to extend all the facilities and support required for the centre to grow it as a full-fledged research facility for the entire west coast. Union minister Shri Rupala also visited the exhibition of live shrimps and finfish species, CIBA hatchery produced shrimp and fish seeds. He also handed over the CIBA produced Asian sea bass fish seeds to the farmers.

Member of Parliament, Navsari constituency, Shri C.R. Patil participated in the Conclave as Guest of Honour. He appreciated ICAR-CIBA for conducting this mega event in Navsari and assured the  Navsari-Gujarat Regional centre of CIBA for all the  support. Deputy Director General (Fisheries) of ICAR, Dr. J. K. Jena in his address highlighted that shrimp is the major item contributing about 70% Indian seafood exports in value terms worth Rs.35,000 crores. However, in the recent years due to the supply of more quantities of shrimp from the Ecuador, the import of Indian farmed shrimp in the international markets has been showing a declining trend which in turn reduced the market price at the local level. Therefore, innovative strategies are the need of the hour both at the market as well as in the farming sectors to overcome this issue. Similarly, diversification of brackish water aquaculture with other species like SPF tiger shrimp and genetically improved Indian white shrimp may give an advantage to the Indian shrimp farmers in the days to come.

The registration of shrimp farms with the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA), Govt. of India for availing any government schemes and reforms brought out in the registration were clearly articulated by Member Secretary, CAA, Dr. V. Kripa. She assured the farmers that CAA will work for consideration of aquaculture as a farming activity and inclusion of it as a farming sector in national disaster management list.

Director, ICAR-CIBA, Dr. Kuldeep K Lal in his welcome address set the stage for the conclave by articulating the importance of the shrimp farmers conclave, the present scenario of brackish water aquaculture in the country and specifically in the state of Gujarat, the efforts of CIBA in addressing the issues in shrimp farming, diseases monitoring, diversification of the systems and species, feed formulations with alternative protein sources and technical backstopping in developing regulatory guidelines, developmental policies and societal development.

During the technical session of the conclave the shrimp export present scenario and immediate prospects, disease prevention and management with special reference to Hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis (HPM) caused by a microsporidian (Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), crop insurance for shrimp farming, development of Genetically Improved Indian White Shrimp (Penaeus indicus) and diversification of brackish water aquaculture with Mudcrab and Asian Seabass fish were discussed.

Director, ICAR-CIBA, Dr. Kuldeep K Lal said that the Govt. of India under the Prime Minister’s Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) funding the National Disease Surveillance Programme for Aquatic Animal Diseases (NSPAAD) for reporting of emerging disease pathogens in the country and a “Report Fish Disease APP” was developed for reporting of existing and emerging pathogens by the farmers was demonstrated to the farmers during the conclave. Subsequently, a vivid presentation was made on the Hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis (HPM) caused by a microsporidian (Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), its diagnosis and Management in shrimp farms was made by Scientist of ICAR-CIBA, Dr. T. Sathish Kumar. During his presentation, the promising results given by a therapeutic developed by CIBA to manage the EHP pathogen in shrimp farms was also detailed.

Subsequently, a special session on ‘Shrimp Crop Insurance’ was convened wherein the Agricultural Insurance of Corporation of India, United India Insurance Corporation of India and the mediator Alliance Insurance Brokers along with Principal Scientist, CIBA, Dr. T. Ravisankar, and the Chief Executive of the National Fisheries Development Board, Dr. L. Narashima Murthy participated and explained about the insurance product developed by the United India Insurance for shrimp farming and the premiums for basic and disease cover and the 20-30% subsidy component provided by the NFDB. The farmers were optimistic about the scheme and expressed their willingness to participate in that. 

Shrimp farmers expressed their issues, requirements especially on shrimp seed quality, shrimp price, electricity tariff etc. before an inter-departmental panel of officials and got appropriate advisories which was coordinated by the Coordinator of the Farmers Conclave Dr. M. Kumaran. Later, Dr. M. Kailasam and Heads of Departments, CIBA, Dr. C. P. Balasubramanian presented on diversification of brackish water Aquaculture respectively with Asia sea bass and Mud crab and their farming practices.

The conclave was conducted with the financial support of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Govt. of India under the PMMSY scheme, NABARD, SCAFi and Agricultural Insurance Corporation Ltd. The scientific team led by Dr. Akshaya Panigrahi, Mr. Pankaj A Patil and Mr. Jose Antony of the NGRC of CIBA coordinated the conclave. Various officials, technicians, faculty and students were also participated in the event in large number.

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