Aqua farming booming in Krishna district

Vijayawada(NTR District): Aquaculture is increasing dramatically in Krishna district, with the cultivation of inland fish (culturing fish in freshwater), inland prawn, brackish water shrimp, marine fish and marine shrimp have been shooting up drastically in the district for the past 15 years.

The embattled farmers, who incurred heavy losses in general agriculture such as paddy and other traditional and commercial crops, are choosing aquaculture. In fact, shrimp and fish cultivation is unaffordable, but once it is successful, their returns will be huge. Many times, farmers are likely to get five to ten folds extra revenue than their investment. Hence, a large number of farmers in the district are preferring aquaculture to agriculture. Due to these reasons, the extent of aquaculture in the district has now reached above 88,000 acres in almost 20 mandals with about 23,801 farmers engaged in this. After district bifurcation, Krishna district has only 25 mandals.

However, aquaculture has negative environmental consequences, like groundwater pollution, which will affect people's health.

Farmers are practising three types of aquaculture like fresh water aqua farming (inland fish and prawn), brackish water (a mix of salt and freshwater-not as salty as sea water) shrimp, marine fish and marine shrimp. Inland, brackish and marine aqua are being cultivated in an extent of 51,440 acres in 11 mandals of Machilipatnam division. Machilipatnam, Bantumilli, Nagayalanka, Kruthivennu, Koduru, Pedana, Guduru, Mopidevi, Challapalli, Avanigadda and Ghantasala mandal farmers are involved in these three types of aquaculture. Over 11,838 farmers of this division have been cultivating L Vannamei shrimp and other sea-based fishes.

Likewise Nandivada, Gudivada, Gudlavalleru,Bapulapadu and Unguturu farmers, who belong to Gudivada division, have been doing inland water aquaculture. Over 11,940 farmers of this division are cultivating Pangasius, Carp and Rupchand fishes in the extent of 37,110 acres.

23 farmers of Vuyyuru division have been doing inland water aqua such as Pangasius, Carp and Rupchand fishes in 238 acres.

Coupled with their efforts and authorities' support, Krishna district farmers produced a large quantity of aqua products so far this year. They produced 9,04,400 MT of inland fish, 1,93,084 MT of inland prawn and 2,14,765 MT of brackish water shrimp. In addition, 38,308 MT of marine fish and 11,386 MT of marine shrimp also produced. With this the total goes to 13,61,943 metric tons of aqua products.

In order to encourage aquaculture, district authorities and fisheries department are giving permission easily to farmers. The government is encouraging aquaculture by implementing number schemes like subsidy power, establishing fisheries societies and fisheries hubs etc. Normally, a farmer must take permission from the authorities concerned if he wants to cultivate aqua in his land. First, he should apply at village secretariat, then the digital assistant of the village will forward the application to the higher officials of fisheries department. Then, the application will be sent to the village secretary concerned for any objections. Later, the application will be displayed on the notice board.

After that it will be forwarded to mandal and distric- level committees. After comprehensive observation, the committees will give approval for cultivating aqua.

However, the government had issued a GO in 2018 regarding aqua cultivation, which incorporated so many issues. Speaking to The Hans India, Venkateswara Reddy, Assistant Fisheries officer, Machilipatnam, said that as per the GO, the authorities are giving permissions to farmers, withing 15 days of applying for the same.

He stated that they must follow all the regulations in order to give permission to aquaculture.