February 15-18, 2009 Washington State Convention Center Seattle ...

ORGANIC SHRIMP PRODUCTION: AN ATTEMPT TO BOAST PRODUCTION WITH
SUSTAINABLE APPROACH
A. Panigrahi*, J. Syama Dayal, S. A. Ali, T.K. Ghoshal, P. Ravichandran, K. Ambasankar and A.G. Ponniah
Kakdwip Research Centre (Central Institute of Brackish water Aquaculture)
Kakdwip, 24 Praganas (South)
West Bengal, India-743 347
apanigrahi2k@yahoo.com
High consumer demand for organic aqua-products is leading to many countries taking up organic shrimp farming. In South
East Asian countries including India, in some areas low input traditional systems are being followed, and these can qualify for
organic status. However the farming practices have to meet few more organic farming standards and be part of a certification
system before they can reach global consumers. The present study has looked at to the development of one of the important
components of organic shrimp farming standards, namely the feed. An experimental trial on low input farming of Penaeus monodon
following organic principles was carried out at 6.5 pc/ sq m stocking. In the control feed, the ratio of protein from different
sources (fish meal: other marine protein sources: plant protein sources) was 38: 35: 27 in control feed and 23: 24: 53 in the
low fish meal feed. The total fishmeal percentage in the organic feed was maintained at 15 %. The pond management practice
was based on an earlier trial in which an FCR of 0.95 was achieved by promoting natural productivity. Along with productivity
estimates total protein and amino acid profile were determined to determine if the low protein diet had any negative impact on
metabolic and nutritional needs.
Organic farming resulted in substantial increase of 17 % in production and an increase of 16% in size at harvest (33.28g in organic
compared to 28.64 g in conventional). Average production of 1308 Kg/ha was observed in organic treatments with lower
fish meal feed in comparison to 1116 kg/ha under conventional farming (p