Empowering farmers towards sustainability and market access.

"In the field of aquaculture, our efforts to expand in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Orissa are slowly bearing fruit," emphasized G. Mohan Kumar, chairman of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA). "There is every likelihood that large scale projects will be implemented in the state of Gujarat. The stage has also been set for fruitful utilization of the saline lands of Maharashtra through aquaculture."

MPEDA has taken several steps to develop new technologies for aquaculture through research and development activities which have been initiated by the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA). The chairman elaborated:

"This includes the project for SPF brood stock of Peneaus monodon, finfish hatchery projects, brood stock projects for scampi, an artemia culture project, etc., which in the near future are bound to play a major role in diversification. In the recent past, the RGCA achieved a great breakthrough in the culture of crab and Asian sea bass ..."

Meanwhile, the Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh-headquartered National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture (NaCSA) continues to work diligently to guarantee the quality of seafood produced for both domestic and export markets through the organization of small scale farmers into networked Aqua Societies.

Founded by MPEDA, the Centre's immediate objectives are as follows:

* Promoting science-based Better Management Practices (BAP) to improve aquaculture productivity and profits through a participatory approach.

* Capacity-building and empowerment of primary producers.

* Facilitating improved service provisions and interaction among stakeholders.

* Supporting improved food security and sustainable livelihoods in aquaculture communities.

* Helping farmers to get better market access and prices for traceable, quality products.

An Aqua Society is, in essence, a group of shrimp farmers organized for members to implement and manage aquaculture activities in a way that accomplishes common goals of reducing risks, maximizing returns and meeting market demands through sustainable practices.

Thus far, NaCSA has organized 100 small farmer societies, each with 25 to 50 registered members, in coastal states of India including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Karnataka and Gujarat. There are 60 societies in Andhra Pradesh alone, the state responsible for producing almost half of the farm shrimp in India. All total, about 3,000 registered farmers are currently involved in Aqua Society farming. Combined, they are expected to produce 2,500 tons of black tiger shrimp production in 2008.

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The advantages of NaCSA-managed societies are numerous, beginning with the preservation of sustainable livelihoods through responsible practices by farmers, many of whom have land holdings of less than two hectares.

Society members are required to comply with all applicable local and national, and to prohibit use of antibiotics at their farms. As such, when random samples of shrimp were taken at 1,200 society farms in the summer of 2007, zero tested positive for traces of antibiotics. Here is how shrimp and scampi are guaranteed safe and free of illegal chemicals:

* Seed is obtained through a contract hatchery system where all society farmers make an agreement with one hatchery well in advance of delivery and monitor seed production for the society. Hence only antibiotic-and disease-free, healthy shrimp seed is stocked in ponds.

* There is heightened awareness about antibiotics among society farmers, all of whom are closely monitored by NaCSA through society coordinators to assure that there is no use of banned substances.

* Shrimp harvested by society members are all-natural. Because they are harvested in low-density ponds, antibiotics like Chloramphenicol or Nitrofurans are not necessary to counter the ills of overcrowding.

Full Traceability

Internal records are maintained at hatcheries, nurseries and farms on general management and key parameters. Records of purchasing information (including details about input supplies such as feed and chemicals) and product distribution and sales data are mainrained in nurseries and farms. Furthermore, traceability is extended one step backward from brood stock to one step forward until it reached consumer through exporters.

Eco-friendly, Pollution-free and Sustainable

The stocking density of shrimp ponds vary front two to six pcs per square meter, which is far below the level utilized by other producers in Southeast Asian countries, and is within the limit stipulated by NaCSA.

As a result of low stocking density and lesser feed inputs, ponds mimic habitats of wild shrimp for consistent quality and characteristics. Shrimp rely more on natural food in the environment, giving the end product a more natural taste than shrimp produced at far higher densities with feed as the only input.

Pollution is reduced by less usage of chemicals and antibiotics, and there is more efficient use of feed which results in limited discharge of sediments and water exchange.

Moving towards carbon neutral shrimp, NaCSA is in the process of converting all society farms from diesel-based fuel to hydro-electric energy. This should result in enabling members to earn carbon credits valued at about US $100 per society per crop.

Farmers share information with each other regularly during weekly meetings, as well as cooperate in selecting, testing and buying seeds through the contract hatchery seed production system. Each Society has its own corpus fund for long term sustainability, with each member paying Rs. 1,000 as an initial membership fee and 0.05% of his income after each crop is harvested.

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The plan of NaCSA is to link Societies to exporters so that all the shrimp from a particular Society is marketed to one exporter. The plus for farmers is there will be better price realization as the agent or middleman has been removed from the transaction. For the processors, the benefit is they can buy all output from the Society as a single entity which provides the advantage of larger integrated units. The harvest can be coordinated and better farming and post-harvest practices can be implemented to improve the overall quality of shrimp as well as maximize traceability abilities.

NaCSA exercises professional management systems to control and regulate production practices. Farmer societies rely more on the fundamental disciplines of sanitation, animal health, nutrition, food safety and sound management, the BMP implementation through society concept has reduced disease risk and make a significant improvement in yields, lessened impact on the environment, improved wholesomeness of products, and enhanced relations among players in the market chain.

In short, it is helping small farmers sustain their livelihood through responsible shrimp culture. Specifically, they show evidence of the advantages of small farmers being organized, sharing resources, helping each other and adopting BOPs. the implementation of the better management practices through societies has provided benefits to all concerned, including the local community.

The growing and production systems for the Indian society shrimp are environmentally conscious, safe and sustainable. This is because the operators of low density farms strictly follow ecologically friendly aquaculture methods and are a model of sustainability and quality control. With over 100 small farmer societies producing shrimp in a sustainable manner, NaCSA is confident that shrimp produced by members of it societies will be recognized as the premium standard by which all other shrimp are judged.