Aquaculture for all

India looks to revive monodon sector

Shrimp Breeding & genetics +2 more

A new line of tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) seed is now available to farmers in India.

According to the Hindu Business Line, India’s Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) started supplying high-quality post-larvae from its new Multi-species Aquaculture Complex (MAC) at Vallarpadam this week.

MAC hopes to revive monodon production, following a rise in prices fetched by the species

Monodon were the most widely cultured shrimp species in India until 2009, when the country struggled to source sufficient disease-free shrimp stocks, prompting producers to shift to vannamei (whiteleg) shrimp production. However, a recent increase in tiger prawn prices has led MPEDA to develop a monodon breeding programme with the help of its research wing, the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture.

The first customer for the new line was Keralan shrimp producer Hormis Tharakan.

The 9-acre MAC facility may help revive India’s monodon production, while it also supplies juvenile tilapia, barramundi, cobia, pomapano and mud crab for ongrowing.

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