The unexpected Twist : Covid-19
Posted by Kumaran J on
Shrimp production has been gradually increasing since 2013 but in 2020??? For most of us, it’s just travel plans that got ruined! But the livelihoods of thousands of shrimp farmers across the country are at stake.
Before COVID-19 outbreak
Lack of quality seeds, disease outbreaks were some of the major show stoppers. But at present, even the most basic necessity seems to be a luxury. Like what? You may wonder…
Here’s a glimpse of what happened after COVID-19 took over:
Pre-Mature Harvest:
Most of the Indian shrimp farmers went for early harvest fearing the loss and hoping to get back at least what they invested. Many farmers didn’t even stock their ponds.
Unstable Market Prices:
Fluctuating market prices has been a cause of concern for the farmers. Initially, the prices were too low that farmers couldn’t even break even. Markets were closed and no one was even ready to buy the harvested shrimps. So, the farmers had to sell it at a very low cost!
After the government’s intervention prices are slowly becoming stable.
Disrupted Supply Chain:
Getting the produce from one place to the other has become difficult. The availability of feed and other inputs would be a question mark if there isn’t proper transportation. Forget about getting the shrimps to market, how will the farmer get necessary inputs and feed for his crop?!
To Conclude:
COVID-19 has indeed disrupted normal functioning, but there’s still hope. If only there was an easier way to get the harvested shrimps to the people, farmers wouldn’t have to suffer huge loss!!
Things are getting better after the government has started lifting up restrictions. Though the shrimp market is not as lucrative as it used to be, the situation is becoming stable.
A few weeks after the lockdown announcement, Aquaconnect conducted a survey to understand the impact of COVID-19 on shrimp farmers. This time diseases were not the only bad guys!
Do check out the complete survey on our official website: https://aquaconnect.blue/