Karnataka coast first region to rear exotic varieties of prawns

Not long ago, many Indians who liked jumbo prawns would consider them the occasional indulgence. It was hard enough to lay one’s eyes on the jumbo prawns; having them on one’s own platter was rare. Things have changed over the years, and thanks to globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation, more and more middle-class consumers can now tuck into a platter of jumbo prawns.

The economies of prawn- rearing, combined with technological advancements, has made this exotic species more commonly available in India. The Karnataka coast is the first region to rear the exotic variety of prawns.

“The jumbo prawns reared in Karnataka were earlier meant solely for export; they are now available at domestic markets at half the earlier prices. What used to sell for `500-`600 per kg earlier is now sold at `275-`300 per kg,” said Suresh Amin, a shrimp farmer from Hejmady, Udupi district.

The transformation in prawn cultivation was made possible by imported inputs — from brood stock to feed and harvesting techniques, all these have undergone a sea change over the years. The exotic species of prawn —Vennamei — from Thailand live suspended in water columns, unlike bottom-dwelling tiger prawns. “That makes them free of many infections, particularly the white spot infection. They also spur probiotic farming,” said officials of the Marine Produce Export Development Authority.
Shyamprakash a shrimp farmer, said, “With modern techniques, a farmer can harvest three crops a year. That is the secret of the abundance of shrimps in the market.”

Even though jumbo prawns are now more cheaply available, the price of a dish of prawns in the hotels remains steep. Rathnakar Shetty a restaurateur in Mangalore. pointed out “It’s true we get export quality prawns for lesser cost, but that still does not mean we can bring down the cost of what we serve.”

Homemakers, however, find a way to make it cheap: “We can make one kg of prawns at a cost of about `250. The entire family can be fed, and the portions can be quite large,” said Sowmya Hegde, a homemaker.