05 February 2025, Chennai: Shrimp aquaculture is a key agri-business in coastal districts, with Odisha holding significant potential—4.18 lakh hectares suitable for shrimp farming. However, only about 4% of this area is currently utilized, producing 45,000 metric tonnes of shrimp, due to challenges such as limited access to technology, quality seeds, diagnostics, and farm advisory services. To address these issues, ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, a Chennai-based national research institute, organized the fourth edition of the Shrimp Farmers Conclave in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Odisha, at Balasore. The event aimed to develop a roadmap for the progressive growth of shrimp aquaculture in Odisha.
Shri Gokulananda Mallik, Minister for Fisheries & Animal Resources Development, MSME, Govt of Odisha, highlighted the importance of the shrimp farmers conclave for the state.
The Chief Guest, Dr J.K. Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries), ICAR, urged the farmers to produce suitable-sized shrimps and fish for domestic consumption through domestic marketing to get assured income and break the myth that shrimps are produced for foreign consumers. He emphasized that the State Department of Fisheries and the shrimp farmers association, with the help of processors, should prepare a shrimp production and market plan suggesting the phase- and zone-wise shrimp farming plan, what to produce for the domestic market, and what to produce for export, and connect the potential domestic markets and processors with farmer groups. The DDG also released ICAR-CIBA’s special publications brought out in the Oriya language for the benefit of the farmers and extension workers.
Farmers are the fulcrum in any farming sector around whom the technology, inputs, services, and market revolve. With regions being unique in terms of resources and production systems, region-specific aquaculture planning is necessary, said Dr Kuldeep Kumar Lal, Director, ICAR-CIBA. He also emphasized the best resource management practices and production systems in brackishwater aquaculture, offering CIBA’s technological solutions for the development of the sector in the state of Odisha. Dr P.K. Sahoo, Director, ICAR-CIFA, who was the Guest of Honor in the conclave, underlined that the farmer’s valuable feedback on the technology needs to be carefully considered and incorporated in refining or customizing the technology for its wider adoption.
ICAR-CIBA Scientists, subject matter experts from the industry, and regulatory and development departments sensitized the farmers on species diversification, disease management, and next-generation production systems. A special session on shrimp crop insurance and the sharing of success stories by farmers were the highlights of the conclave. The conclave served as a platform for farmer-to-farmer horizontal learning and building farmer networks across the districts of Odisha. An exhibition consisting of stalls from shrimp feed, inputs, insurance, and CIBA technologies was also conducted during the conclave.
Later, the DDG, Fisheries, inaugurated the multispecies backyard hatchery for brackishwater species, established under the Scheduled Tribal Component (STC) at Sahada village near Balasore, Odisha, in the presence of Shri Rabindra Kumar Jena, former Member of Parliament, Dr P.K. Sahoo, Director, ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Dr Kuldeep K. Lal, Director, ICAR-CIBA, a group of fish farmers, and other dignitaries.
This hatchery would produce and supply the seeds of important brackishwater species like Bengal catfish, pearlspot, etc. and ensure year-round seed availability for fish farming, aiming towards aquaculture-based livelihood development of tribal communities in the region. The visitors witnessed mud crab farming in ponds and boxes and a bumper harvest of 10 tons of milkfish (Chanos chanos). The DDG also handed over a sum of Rs. 6.65 lakhs of revenue generated to the tribal fisher group.
Over 500 shrimp and fish farmers hailing from all the coastal districts of Odisha (Kanjam to Balasore), state fisheries officials, field professionals, input dealers, exporters, bank officials, insurance companies, and other pertinent stakeholders participated in the conclave.
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