The impact of the first wave of COVID-19 on the production indices pertaining to Vannamei shrimp farming in Kerala, India

Abstract

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus influenza in the world, we have seen an unprecedented situation that has put the entire world on red alert to prevent its further spread. The countries have been going through different phases of lockdown and the entire mankind is going through a challenging situation that affects our regular lives. In the aquaculture sector, the sales, value addition, export and movement of goods are seen badly affected. This paper presents a case study of the impact of the first wave of the pandemic on shrimp farming in Kerala pertaining to selected Vannamei shrimp farms. Present-day shrimp culture is a culmination of continuous up-gradation in farming practices and protocols over the years. In recent years, Vannamei farming has received an excellent response from the farmers due to the availability of high-quality SPF seed, amenability of the species to high stocking density and achievability of high production rates. Scarcity of seed, feed, and the availability of labour force has adversely affected Vannamei farming in the State. In contrast, some farmers have reported that this adverse situation was favouring their business due to the increased demand in the domestic market especially for lower counts like 60-100. No apparent variation on shrimp growth and survival reported in Kerala during this period, the increased feed cost and seed transportation cost coupled with difficulty in accessing service has led to decreased profitability from shrimp farming. Though the central and state governments support the farmers by notifying aquaculture as an essential activity our study shows that additional efforts are required to implement solid plans at the ground level.