Many back to shrimp farms in Satkhira
Virus-free fry, new technology yields 1600- 2000 kgs per hectare
Our Correspondent, Satkhira
Supply of virus-free shrimp fries by Shrimp Seal of Quality (SSOQ) and introduction of new technology by CP Aqua Culture have brought many shrimp cultivators back to the profession after years of heavy loss. Like many in Kalaigonj upazila, Sayeed Mehedi had abandoned shrimp farming. He is now back with a renewed energy. He now employs 15 people in his 'Allahar Dan Shrimp Culture' at Pania, a remote village in the upazila. In only, two years, he has earned fame and fortune by cultivating shrimp using the new technology. He is now well known in the area. He cultivated shrimps in only a one acre waterbody and produced Tk 5,89,000 shrimps in three months this year and earned a net profit of Tk 2,95,000. He plans to expand it by January. He achieved the tremendous success by cultivating virus-free shrimps and using advanced method provided by CP Aqua Culture and Shrimp Seal of Quality (SSOQ) under the joint auspices of Delta Fish Ltd. and Manab Sampad Unnayan Kendra, a local NGO. His success now draws officials to his project area and encourages others. Syeed Mehedi passed the HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate) examination in 1992. He started shrimp farming in 1993. From 1998 to 2001, he incurred losses due to attack on shrimps by White Spot Disease (White Spot Syndrome Virus). He was about to abandoned shrimp cultivation. "Things changed when I met Jewel Luna, Lame and Herry Kumar, all technicians of CP Aqua Culture India Ltd, and talked to them", Sayeed said. "They advised and encouraged me to cultivate shrimp again using their new technology and offered technical assistance. "They said 1600 to 2000 kilograms could be produced per hectare by cultivating virus free fries. Sayeed took a short training and started shrimp cultivation again in 2002. This year, he purchased 52000 virus free fries from SSOQ and released those in a one acre waterbody. He produced 1550 kilograms of shrimp in three months and sold those at Tk 5,89,000 at the rate of Tk. 380 per Kg. The yield was only 150 kilograms earlier in traditional system, he told this correspondent during a visit to his farm on Wednesday. "The new method introduced by CP Aqua Culture India Ltd is the most modern, easy and environment friendly " Sayeed said. "The miracle has been possible due to supplying of virus-free fries by SSOQ."
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