New species of shrimp brings hope

Khulna Correspondent :
Khulna Aug 4: A new species of prawn Vannami is comming with new hope in the future in frozen food sector. White leg shrimp is known as Vannami. It is also called Pacific white shrimp or king prawn of east pacific ocean. Following three months experiment of vannami chingri under a pilot project at Brakish water station of Fisheries department at Paikgacha Khulna found success. In 90 days 14,000 Kg of shrimps were collected from two and half hector pond.
This variety of shrimp was restricted in Bangladesh. The government agreed to expriment through a pilot project last year following a long discussion with the frozen

food exporters association. Because 105 frozen food indudustries with production capacity about 4 lakh metric tons yearly are almost idle for short supply of shrimp. Most of the factories remain shut. At present only 15 to 20 factories are active. Beside the demand of Bagda and Galda are gradualy decaying day by day. In comparison Bagda and Galda are much costly then Vannami, as it is much cheaper than other two. Vannami shrimp takes three months in semi insentive culter in three months whereas Bagda takes 150 days. Only one crop in the year when Vannami could be cultivated throughout the year. Moreover the production of vannami is 10 m.tons in one hector of pond when the Bagda is only 300-400 kg. Production cost is also less then Bagda. Though since long this variety is being cultiveted in 70 countries of the world and 14 countries in Asia. China & Philipines in 1997, Thiland Combodia Vietnam Mayanmer Malaysis in 2000, India, Indonesia Saudi Arabia and Singapur in 2002. Produce huge quantity. China produced 1067000 M ton, India 554000 tons, Vietnam 42000 tons Indonesia 190000 tons and Malyasia 165000 tons yearly.
Deputy director of Fisheries Department & Quality Control Mujibur Rahman said 10 m tons of vannami could be produced from one hecor of pond.
Director of MU Sea Foods and Pioner of Pilot project said that many company are interested now to cultivate this variety. Some of them have allready submitted appplications to the govt. to import pona from Thiland and other countries. The supervisor of this pilot project was a retired officer of Food Department. Prafulla Kumar Sarker said the quality production found sucess. Former Vice President of the associantion Abdul return Baky said the production inspired us. Now we hope that the closed factories will again. Another Vice President of Frozent Food Exporters Association Humayun Kabir said now its the Fiheries Ministry to come forwared with all necessary action such as permission to import fish fry. One of the growers of shrimp in semi insentive culture M A Hasan Panna opined at least a dozen of producer are preparing their semi insentive ponds to cultivate the new variety of shrimp Vannami.
He further said this variety could be produced in grass root level within few years if we could produce fish fry from mother shrimp. Now its the govt. to come forward with all assistance without further delay.