Shrimp farmers in Andhra Pradesh threaten crop holiday if govt. fails to address rising feed prices by September 30
Shrimp farmers in Andhra Pradesh have threatened a 'crop holiday' starting next April if the government does not address the rising costs of aqua feed by September 30. The farmers are also boycotting specific feed company products due to price hikes.
Why it matters
This highlights significant economic distress in the aquaculture sector, which is a major livelihood provider in coastal India.
The Andhra Pradesh State Aqua Farmers Association (APSAFA) on Monday resolved to declare a crop holiday for shrimp farming from next April if the State government does not hold talks with farmers on their concerns, including a steep increase in aqua feed prices, by September 30.
The harvesting of the current crop is expected to be completed by March, with the next season scheduled to begin in April after a month-long pond preparation period.
Nearly 2,000 shrimp farmers from across Coastal Andhra Pradesh attended the State-level meeting held at Amalapuram in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district on Monday.
Addressing the meeting, APSAFA president G. Gandhi Bhagawan Raju proposed that farmers observe a crop holiday from April if the State government failed to initiate talks on their concerns by September 30. The resolution was passed with the consent of the participants.
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