The Andhra Pradesh Farmers Association has urged the state government to immediately address the problems faced by shrimp farmers, citing heavy financial losses and growing difficulties in the industry.
The Association’s Assistant State Secretary K. Srinivas on Wednesday expressed concern over rising feed costs and falling prices of prawns, which he said were seriously affecting the livelihood of farmers. Speaking at Anne Bhavan in Eluru, he pointed out that farmers are facing problems due to the imbalance between input costs and market returns.
He also highlighted the problem of substandard feed and seed, saying that the poor quality of supply is causing significant losses to shrimp farmers. Mr. Srinivas has criticized market practices, claiming that prices are being artificially suppressed under the pretext of global factors such as war.
Mr. Srinivas demanded that the State Government hold an immediate meeting with the shrimp farmers to understand their concerns and take remedial measures. He called for strict regulation of feed and seed prices and ensuring availability of quality inputs for farmers.
The farmer leader further urged the government to announce the minimum support price for shrimp and take strict action against companies that exploit farmers through unfair practices. He also demanded introduction of subsidized electricity tariff of ₹ 1.50 per unit for shrimp farming operations, saying the cost of electricity was a big burden on farmers.
He further appealed to both the state and central governments to take steps to increase domestic consumption of shrimp, which could help stabilize prices and improve farmers’ incomes.
Published – 18 March 2026 20:26 IST
