Awareness Meet on the Winter Culture of Banana Shrimp in Gujarat

Navasari, 28 July 2011

An awareness meet was held at Danti farm of Navsari Agricultural University, Gujarat on the winter culture of the banana shrimp Fenneropenaeus merguiensis. This meet was held to review the results of the earlier winter crop of banana shrimp conducted at Danti farm during November 2010 - April 2011.

It is a new avenue for the shrimp farmers of Gujarat to diversify to banana shrimp during winter to get a reasonable crop when tiger shrimp growth is slow in low temperature conditions.

Chennai based Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) considers this development as successful example of its outreach programme taken up in collaboration with Navsari Agricultural University.

Altogether 16 aquafarmers from Danti and Chijgam in Navsari and Olpad in Surat Districts participated in this meet. Each farmer intends to go for banana shrimp culture in the forth coming winter season with stocking minimum of 2 ponds in each of their farm as it would be economically remunerative.

It is expected that at least 22 ha will be under winter culture and the seed requirement will be around 33 lakhs. The technical details and the management measures to be followed during the crop were explained to the farmers. Its outreach programme taken up in collaboration with Navsari Agricultural University.

(Source: CIBA, Chennai)