An unprecedented growth trajectory is forecasted for India’s tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) sector, with projections indicating a surge to over 500,000 tonnes within the next five years. This optimistic outlook was shared by Dhaval Contractor, a partner at Vaishnavi Aquatech, one of the country’s prominent producers of this species, during a recent address.
Contractor attributed this anticipated boom in the monodon sector to the establishment of India’s inaugural state-of-the-art broodstock multiplication centre (BMC) for specific pathogen-free (SPF) monodon in 2021 by Vaishnavi Aquatech. He emphasized that this facility would serve as a pivotal catalyst for the rapid expansion of monodon shrimp production in the nation.
Highlighting the shifting preferences among farmers, Contractor noted that monodon shrimp are gaining traction in various regions of India, particularly in Gujarat. This shift is largely influenced by challenges faced by the L. vannamei sector, including disease outbreaks (notably EHP), declining survival rates, and heightened competition from Ecuador’s burgeoning vannamei sector.
While monodon production had witnessed a decline owing to the utilization of inferior quality wild seed, Contractor pointed out significant improvements observed in Moana monodon broodstock from the company’s BMC. These enhanced broodstocks have led to better-performing post-larvae (PLs), contributing to their rising popularity among farmers.
In 2021, Vaishnavi Aquatech supplied 300 million monodon PLs to farmers in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. Given the escalating demand, the company has since established six hatcheries and has already distributed over 1 billion PLs in 2022.
Although India’s monodon harvest stood at a modest 34,000 tonnes in 2021-2022 and almost double in the 2022-2023 financial year, he projects this figure to reach closer to half a million tonnes within the subsequent five years.
Contractor underscored the significant improvements witnessed in Moana monodon, with growth rates nearly doubling to approximately 4 g per week compared to 2 g per week in 2008. Notably, some farmers in Gujarat have achieved two crops annually, marking a substantial improvement over past production rate.
Factors contributing to the growing appeal of monodon shrimp include their native status, which enhances resistance to pathogens like EHP compared to vannamei, lower technological and infrastructural requirements for cultivation, and the ability to attain sizes exceeding 50 g, commanding premium prices, particularly in Japanese and EU markets.
With an estimated 80-90 percent of farmers in Gujarat expected to transition to monodon cultivation next year, Contractor envisions an expansion of this trend into states like Orissa, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh. He concludes with an optimistic outlook, envisioning India’s ascent as the foremost producer of P. monodon shrimp, fostering smiles on farmers’ faces, and elevating aquaculture sustainability while satisfying global market demands for monodon shrimp prized for their superior texture and taste.
