The recent cyclone and flood that had hit the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu had destroyed the shrimp farms spread over 1,000 hectare, mainly in Nagapattinam district. The floodwaters washed away over 1,500 tonne of grown-up shrimps and farm equipment worth over Rs 150 crore.
The damage has come as a fatal blow to the shrimp farmers already facing rapid fall in volume and value of exports following the global meltdown. ?The loss has been so devastating that many prawn farmers may not be able to resume prawn culture even after the floodwaters recede,? industry sources said.
The tsunami in December 2004 had destroyed the prawn farms to a great extend. Post-tsunami the area under prawn culture came down to 4,500 hectare, from over 10,000 hectare. After the recent cyclone and floods, the area may again go down to 2,000 hectare ?rendering thousands of people jobless and penniless,?? they said.
According to V Balasubramaniam, general secretary, Prawn Farmers Federation of India, the cyclone affected over 10,000 aqua farmers and their families in Tamil Nadu. The lives and earnings of this whole community have been wiped out in a single day of unprecedented rains and hailstorm on November 27, 2008. More than 100-cm rain was recorded in a single day in Nagapattinam district, and along with it, cyclonic winds caused huge waves and broke open the bunds of prawn culture ponds. The machinery used for aerating the pond water and pumping etc were submerged in water and also carried away by the storm. The cables, distribution panel boards, the water intake systems, especially of the sea-based farms were totally destroyed. ?
The president of the Tamil Nadu Coastal Aqua Farmers Federation Ali Hussain said the extent of loss of live prawns, infrastructure, machinery and equipment could be assessed only after the floodwaters receded. Now the state fisheries department has initiated a survey of the destruction. The federations also was working with the district-level associations to prepare a detailed report of the collective loss. ?Once we get the actual figures for the losses, we will meet with the chief minister and make an appeal to bail us out from this massive calamity,? Hussain said.
However, the prawns are a loss only to the farmers. The entire stock would be in the sea and they would be netted by the fishermen as wild catch.
If the rains were normal, it would have created an ideal situation with plenty of fresh water and a moderate temperature. But this time this would not happen as almost every shrimp farmer in Nagapattinam district and adjoining areas have lost everything with nothing left for making fresh investments. Already prices in the international market has been falling following the economic crisis in the importing countries. Cultured prawns are entirely export-oriented.
Hussain said, ?When the dollar was around Rs 42, the prices quoted for a kg were Rs 270-280 for bigger prawns. With dollar at Rs 50 and above the price should have been at Rs 320-340 range. But the price quoted is only Rs 230-240 a kg. For the medium-size prawns the price has fallen to Rs 135-140 a kg from Rs 165-160.? India is the largest produce of tiger prawn which are produced predominantly by small to medium sized farmers. The farming is highly regulated by the Coastal Aqua Culture Authority of India which lays emphasis on eco-friendly sustainable prawn culture.
