Farmers shift to organic aquaculture

German, Malaysian agencies step in to help coastal Andhra farmers

The Natur Land, a renowned West German international certifying agency for organic farming, and Infofish, Malaysia counterpart of Mpeda, have come forward to guide farmers in coastal Andhra to shift to organic aquaculture, according to G Rathina Raj, deputy director of Marine Products Export Development Authority (Mpeda).

Following a serious setback to exports in fiscal 2004-05 due to the presence of excess antibiotic residue in shrimp, 98 per cent of the farmers raising scampi and tiger prawn varieties in about one lakh hectares in coastal Andhra have stopped using antibiotics, said Raj.

The two agencies are now part of the farmers' camps being organised by Mpeda under the guidance of the FAO Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific.

He said that Mpeda, through workshops and training sessions, had succeeded in educating farmers about the ineffectiveness of antibiotics in tackling virus onslaught on prawns. The farmers have been taught preventive measures such as removal of virus-affected seed and grown-up shrimp stock through polymerise chain reaction (PCR) and PL-20 tests. They have also been provided with lists of 20 banned and harmful antibiotics, prawn culture parameters, required fatty acids, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

Hoping that the export of scampi or tiger prawn to Europe, the US and Japan in the coming months would not meet with disapproval, he said that EU had already approved over 100 prawn processing plants in Andhra Pradesh.

However, antibiotic residue still persisted in polycultures where farmers cultivate fish and prawns and vice versa in the same tanks.

"Use of antibiotics by fish farmers is rampant. A number of ignorant prawn seed hatcheries is found using antibiotics. The antibiotics residue would most likely not cross the EU-stipulated 0.3 ppb (particles per billion) limits in the crop to be harvested in the coming months," he said.

Raj was of the view that the adoption of organic aquaculture methods in toto is difficult as cost of production would escalate by 30 per cent without any guarantee of remunerative price and purchase in world markets.

"It would be a great achievement if 5,000-10,000 hectare are brought under organic aquaculture."

He said that shrimp farmers started about 20 clubs in West Godavari, Krishna and Nellore districts. The club members are collectively bargaining for facilities such as electricity, water quality and other tests, saline and pH meters and Mpeda counselling.

As the groundwater levels have improved in Nellore district after the recent heavy rains, scampi farmers would reap rich harvest in the next couple of years.

The crop, however, is less than normal at present. The total shrimp crop for 2005-06 would be less than the targeted 1,00,000 tonnes, he said.