Aqua Farmers Urged To Use Govt Labs for Water, Disease Testing
Water, soil and disease testing can prevent losses and boost aquaculture productivity
Nellore: Joint director of the fisheries department Dr K. Shanthi on Tuesday urged aqua farmers to make effective use of the government aqua lab at Nellore and the integrated aqua lab at Kavali to improve farm productivity and prevent losses caused by water quality issues and diseases.
With fish and shrimp farming spread over 39,371.58 acres in Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district, she said regular monitoring of water and soil conditions has become crucial for sustaining large-scale aquaculture activity.
Shanthi said the fisheries department has strengthened laboratory services to support farmers with timely and scientific testing whenever problems arise in ponds. These facilities enable early detection of diseases and environmental stress, allowing farmers to take corrective measures before major losses occur.
The laboratories offer water and soil analysis, PCR testing for diseases such as White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) and Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease (AHPND), along with microbiological examinations.
She said the tests help identify bacterial and viral infections at an early stage and assess water quality parameters, which are critical for maintaining healthy stock and achieving better yields.
Shanthi added that the state institute of fisheries technology (SIFT), Kakinada, which serves as a state-level referral laboratory, is also analysing drug and chemical residues using advanced LCMSMS and GCMSMS equipment, helping ensure quality and compliance in aquaculture practices.
She called upon farmers to utilise these government-supported facilities to adopt scientific farming methods and ensure sustainable growth of the aquaculture sector in the district.
