The State government of Andhra Pradesh has urged feed companies in the State to roll back the hiked price of aquafeed.
In the wake of the Covid 19, fish farmers had incurred losses due to the pandemic. They had appealed to the State Government to intervene and support during this crisis period.
The increased input costs will put pressure on the farmers, thereby making shrimp farming unprofitable. The farmers have also informed that, though there is no marked increase in the cost of feed ingredients for the last four years, the feed cost @ Rs. 5/ – per kg on fish feed and Rs. 61– per kg on shrimp feed was enhanced during this year.
“The Government has taken up this issue very seriously and directed the Department of Fisheries to inform all the Feed Plant operators, dealers, distributors and suppliers to rollback their price and adopt the old price by reducing the enhanced price immediately by considering the distressed state of aquaculture farmers in the state arisen due to pandemic of Covid-19,” reads the State Government letter issued to the feed manufacturers.
Andhra Pradesh is one of the leading fish producing states in the country. The nationwide lock-down had disrupted the supply chain. Even many farmers had to panic harvest and had to distress sell.
During the early lockdown period, with the intervention of MPEDA and State Government, the exporters had to announce a minimum price for shrimps. Later, the State government also directed the hatcheries to sell the PL shrimps below 35 paise.
Though fisheries and aquaculture activities were exempted from lockdown, yet restrictions in the movement of laborers and lack of transportation facilities virtually paralyzed fisheries activities in the state as well as in the country.
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