“Imported broodstock has deteriorated in quality, making the NBC essential,” APSADA Chairman Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy told Deccan Chronicle.
Nellore: In a major move to boost sustainable aquaculture and domestic seafood consumption, the Andhra Pradesh State Aqua Development Authority (APSADA) is planning to set up a Nucleus Breeding Centre (NBC) with support from the Centre and industry collaboration. The proposed facility aims to domesticate broodstock of indigenous species, reducing reliance on low-quality imported broodstock.
“Imported broodstock has deteriorated in quality, making the NBC essential,” APSADA Chairman Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy told Deccan Chronicle. APSADA is also pushing for fish and shrimp to be included in midday meals, defense canteens, and ration shops to encourage domestic consumption. Reddy noted that a 0.5 kg increase in per-capita shrimp consumption could create demand for 7 lakh tonnes of shrimp.
To boost domestic sales, APSADA urged the Centre to waive the 5% GST on pre-packaged seafood. Given the capital-intensive nature of shrimp farming, APSADA is seeking subsidies under schemes like PMMSY for equipment such as aerators and generators.
Reddy also recommended changes to PMMSY and PM-MKSSY schemes, suggesting a uniform per-acre subsidy instead of the current 2-hectare cap per farmer, which limits financial aid to ₹2.8 lakh/Ha for pond construction and ₹2.4 lakh/Ha for inputs.
He also called for PPP-mode infrastructure development using scheme funds to build cold storage, labs, and logistics networks. On the regulatory front, APSADA is finalising amendments to its Act, incorporating 90% of stakeholder suggestions to improve ease of doing business. The updated Act will be tabled in the next Assembly session.
Despite being the country’s aquaculture leader, Andhra Pradesh used only ₹546 crore from ₹22,000 crore allocated under central schemes in the previous regime. APSADA hopes streamlined policies will correct this. The authority is also simplifying registration for seed and feed companies with online systems and strict compliance norms, effective from June.
