Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ECONOMICS OF SHRIMP AQUACULTURE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SHRIMP AQUACULTURE IN NAVSARI DISTRICT OF GUJARAT, INDIA

Mahida Navghan*, Nalini Ranjan Kumar, Swadesh Prakash, Dhammapal Gadkar and Shaikh Yunus

Abstract

In view of recent set back of brackish water shrimp farming, the present study is aimed to highlight the profitability of shrimp aquaculture and factors associated with that in Navsari district of Gujarat. Maximum investments as well as productivity were observed in white legged shrimp compared to black tiger shrimp. The nuclear family was predominant on sample farm household in both the shrimp farming namely L. vannamei 65.38 percent and P. monodon 44.44 percent with an overall average of 54.91 percent. Maximum farm households 41.59 percent had family size of 4-6 persons followed by family size of 1 to 3 persons by 26.49 percent households. The average family size on the sample households was 5.49. The male were outnumbered in the sample households, and accounted for 40.94 percent of family size indicating the gap between male and female proportion. Educational status of head of sample farm households showed that in general, shrimp farmers had good education. On overall basis 97.18 percent farmers were literate and a sizable proportion 40.49 percent had education up to graduate level which was followed by education up to higher secondary level 17.91 percent. The revival phase of shrimp culture from the recent set back was observed by the study. Black tiger shrimp farmers and white legged shrimp earned a net profit of 5.57 Lakh/ha/crop and of 19.63 Lakh/ha/crop respectively. The black tiger shrimp was less profitable (1.95) than white legged shrimp (3.01). Some of the parameters estimated were significant at different levels, which were permanent labour, feed and experience in case of black tiger shrimp and feed and seed in case of white legged shrimp.