Way to ward off shrimp virus

Physically challenged Mohinur Islam with virus-free shrimps in front of his farm at Gava village in Satkhira Sadar upazila.. PHOTO: STAR

The new environment-friendly system is also easier than the traditional method used in the district earlier.

Cultivation of virus-free fry and application of 'Modified Traditional Technology' and 'Close System' have brought the success. The new method has been initiated by the Shrimp Seal of Quality (SSOQ), a USAID-funded project being implemented by the Agro Based Industry and Technology Development Program (ATDP) under the Ministry of Agriculture.

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Production per hectare in the new method is around 1.8 tons, said Zakir Hossain a SSOQ expert, which is providing technical support to farmers.

The new technology is very important for Bangladesh as this is being followed by most of the shrimp exporting countries and buyers also want virus-free shrimp, he added.

In the new system, shrimp is cultivated in closed pond water. It ensures environment-friendly cultivation by saving trees, paddy fields and other fish species around the pond intact, he said.

Like many in Satkhira and some others south-western districts, disabled Mohinur Islam Sardar had abandoned shrimp farming after incurring heavy losses in consecutive years. He is now back to the profession with a renewed energy.

He achieved a tremendous success by cultivating virus-free shrimp using the new technology provided by SSOQ. He released 54000 virus-free fries in a four-bigha (132 decimal) pond and produced 1362 kilograms of shrimp in two crops this year.

He sold those at Tk 5,28, 000 and earned a net profit of Tk 3,26,940, he told this correspondent during a visit on Friday.

"In the traditional system, I got only 97 kg shrimps in the four- bigha pond last year because of virus infection", said 39 year-old Mohinur of Gava village in the Sadar upazila.

Mohinur, while studying in Dhaka University, lost his right leg in a road accident seven years ago and became physically retarded. He came back home without completing the honours course due to poverty.

But he was undaunted. He started shrimp cultivation in the pond with the assistant of his wife. Like many in the district, Mohinur had became loan defaulter due to losses from cultivating shrimp.

He success now draws officials to his project and also encourages others.

The water of the pond has to be replaced after certain periods, which needs a reservoir.

"But the cost of shrimp feed in the new system is higher than that in the traditional system because it is imported from Thailand. The SSOQ technology is profitable and very much suitable for Bangladesh, he said.

"Now a lot of shrimp farmers have become interested to cultivate shrimp again. But it's risky to get success in the initial stage without SSOQ technical assistance", he said.

But Mohinur is worried because the ATDP-SSOQ project will end this month. The technical assistance is essential for training farmers who are thinking to introduce the new system, he said.

"At least 345 shrimp farmers in south-western coastal region covering Shatkhira, Bagherhat and Khulna districts are now using SSOQ technology and most of them have achieved success", said Zakir Hossain, a member of SSOQ team.

Local shrimp cultivators have urged the authorities to take steps so that the program (ATDP) continues in the interest of the shrimp sector.