Push for Shrimp farming in Punjab

In news– Punjab saw its first state-level shrimp mela(shrimp fair) in Enakhera village of Muktsar district.

Key updates-

While shrimp farming began in the state in 2016-17, the mela is a state government push to create more awareness about it.
South-west Punjab has saline underground water not fit for agriculture. Also, waterlogging is a perennial issue in this belt.
Therefore, shrimp farming was proposed as a solution for farmers whose land was lying unutilised.
In Punjab, it is done in five south-western districts of Muktsar, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Bathinda and Faridkot.
The project was funded jointly by the Centre and the state government.
As of 2022-23, a total of 1,212 acres of land in south-west Punjab is under shrimp farming, with a total production of 2,413 tonnes of shrimps.

Schemes for shrimp farmers-

At present, various schemes are being run under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), which started in 2021 and will run till 2025 to promote ‘blue revolution’.
The project cost for a fish pond on 2.5 acres of land has been earmarked at Rs 14 lakh under this project, out of which general category farmers get 40 per cent subsidy, while those from SC/ST communities get 60 per cent.
Women and cooperative societies run by women also get a 60 per cent subsidy.
The same amount of subsidy is provided for purchasing and setting up cold storage/ice plants, for buying refrigerated vehicles to market shrimps, and for motorcycles or bicycles with an ice box

What is shrimp farming?

Shrimp farming is an aquaculture-based activity in marine or freshwater environments to produce shrimp for human consumption.
Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are referred to as “shrimp”.
More narrow definitions may be restricted to Caridea, to smaller species of either group or to only the marine species.
Under a broader definition, shrimp may be synonymous with prawn, covering stalk-eyed swimming crustaceans with long, narrow muscular tails (abdomens), long whiskers (antennae), and slender legs.