Aqua Farmers Warn of Crop Holiday Over Rising Feed Costs and Falling Shrimp Prices
They accuse shrimp feed companies, processing units, and buyers of adopting exploitative practices.
Kakinada:Aqua farmers in Andhra Pradesh have warned of taking a crop holiday unless the state government intervenes and addresses issues related to rising feed costs and falling shrimp prices.
Farmers maintain that they have been suffering continuous losses over the past five years due to frequent increases in feed prices and declining market rates for shrimp. They accuse shrimp feed companies, processing units, and buyers of adopting exploitative practices.
Farmers’ associations in West Godavari and Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema districts have held meetings to chalk out an agitation plan, while warning the government about their crop holiday plan if it does not intervene and resolve the matter.
Palakollu Jai Bharat Ksheera Rama Aqua Farmers Association has already launched protests under the leadership of its president Bhagavan Raju. The association had organised dharnas, dumped shrimp on roads, and distributed shrimp free of cost to the public.
“When there is no proper price available in the market, it is better to distribute it to the people free of cost,” Bhagavan Raju said.
Similar protests have been organised by members of the Delta Aqua Farmers Association at Kaikaluru and by farmers in Konaseema district.
Amid these protests and growing unrest among aqua farmers, West Godavari district collector C. Nagarani convened a meeting at Bhimavaram on Wednesday with aqua farmers, feed company representatives, and shrimp processing unit operators.
During the meeting, farmers led by Jai Bharat Ksheera Rama Aqua Farmers Association general secretary Bonam Venkata Narsaiah alias Chinababu said shrimp prices have fallen sharply by nearly ₹70 per kg. Chinababu questioned how farmers could recover even their basic investment under the present market conditions.
Representatives of the shrimp processing companies said local firms have no control over prices, which depended on the international market trends. They stated that unless Indian exporters remain competitive, buyers in the United States would procure shrimp from other countries.
Feed company representatives said they have increased feed prices by only ₹8 despite facing the latest market conditions that warrant a hike of nearly ₹20.
Collector Nagarani advised both industry representatives and farmers to place their concerns before the government for further consideration. She advised farmers against taking any drastic action.
Bonam Chinababu later told Deccan Chronicle that a state-level meeting of aqua farmers would soon be held in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district to decide the future course of action, including the proposed crop holiday.
