‘Many producers planning to expand capacity’
India is set gain the top slot in farmed shrimp production, overtaking China in 2019-20, said Ravi Kumar Yellanki, president, Society of Aquaculture Professionals. “We have already overtaken China in shrimp exports last year but are on par with regard to farmed shrimp production. Next year, we will overtake China [on this count] too,” he said.
China’s output falls
While the shrimp production target for the current year stands at 7 lakh tonnes, India might end up producing 6.5 lakh tonnes, on par with China. Last year, India produced 6 lakh tonnes, he said. Shrimp production in China declined after the outbreak of the Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) disease, he added. While India was not impacted by the disease, countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Mexico were largely affected. “But China kept inflating its production numbers by adding imports from Vietnam,” he noted. “Next year, we will definitely overtake China as farmed shrimp production is on the wane,” said Ramakanth V. Akula, CEO, The Waterbase Ltd., a shrimp feed manufacturer. Huge tracts of land were available to host brackish water for cultivation, he said adding,“India has 15 lakh hectares suitable for brackish water, but only 10% of it [1.5 lakh hectares] is being used for shrimp production. Farmgate prices are increasing. Also, several shrimp producers are planning to expand capacity.”
Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/india-may-overtake-china-in-farmed-shrimp-production/article24920643.ece
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