To prove how floral feed can offer better aquaculture nutrition and eco-friendly prawn farming, a pilot project led by Calcutta University's marine biologist Abhijit Mitra was executed at Swarupnagar village of North 24 Parganas district, few kilometres from here.
Mitra said the formulated feed from salt marsh grass Porteresia coarctata, available naturally in the Sundarbans, not only improves the aquatic health of ponds but also increases the growth and protein level of Macrobrachium rosenbergii, a species of prawn.
It is estimated that annually India produces over 30,000 tonnes of the giant fresh water prawn, the export prices of which range between Rs 500-600 a kg.
Prawns reared on floral feed exhibit greater weights and redder colouring (both attributes with high consumer appeal), and grow more quickly than those surviving on commercial feed.
Besides mangrove grass, the other ingredients of the scampi feed preparation includes soybean dust, muster oil cake, rice bran and wheat bran. (MORE)PTI NIK ANS DBL ANS
