Shrimp farmers in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh have threatened to halt farming from April through June of next year unless the government addresses their concerns over rising production costs and falling shrimp prices.
The Andhra Pradesh State Aqua Farmers' Association agreed on the move at a meeting with farmers from several districts of the state on 7 September, The New Indian Express reported.
Association Chairman G. Gandhi Bhagavan Raju said higher prices for shrimp feed, medicines, and other inputs, as well as poor-quality shrimp seed, were putting farmers under financial pressure at the same time shrimp prices have fallen sharply.
The group called on the government to set a minimum support price for shrimp and also asked it to intervene to lower farming costs. Additionally, it called on feed manufacturers to reduce their prices.
The association said farmers would undergo the three-month crop holiday if the government had not addressed their demands by the end of September.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on 8 September temporarily blocked increases in shrimp feed prices, ordering the Prawn Feed Manufacturers Association and affiliated companies to keep feed prices in line with those set out in a 12 June circular until further orders, according to The Times of India.
The interim order followed a petition that challenged increases of INR 9,000 (USD 94, EUR 81) per metric ton (MT) for vannamei shrimp feed and INR 12,000 (USD 126, EUR 108) per MT for black tiger shrimp feed.
The petitioners argued that under the Andhra Pradesh State Aquaculture Development Authority (APSADA) Act of 2020, price-setting for aquaculture feed, seed, and other farm inputs falls solely within the authority's remit.
Justice N. Harinath issued interim orders preventing the Prawn Feed Manufacturers Association from implementing the revised rates and directed that feed continue to be sold at the prices set in the 12 June circular.
The court scheduled a further hearing for 30 September.
