The Hindu Business Line : Kuttanad farmers take to organic scampi farming

“Farmers in Kuttanad can no more subsist on ordinary paddy cultivation, which is a losing proposition and, therefore, they have to diversify into organic paddy and fresh water fish farming.”

G.K. Nair

Kuttanad (Kerala), Feb. 23 If the paddy cultivation, be it organic or unorganic, were a viable proposition, the paddy farmers in Kerala’s granary, Kuttanad, would not have ventured into fresh water fish farming, especially organic scampi cultivation.

With the non-remunerative prices coupled with labour problems and high cost of production, a majority of the farmers now go for one paddy crop, and that too only because it has been thrust upon them despite being unprofitable. Some convert their paddy fields into a vast expanse of water pond for scampi or other fresh water fish farming to supplement their income.

However, to do organic scampi farming, a farmer, who is bound to cultivate one paddy crop, has to take up organic paddy cultivation strictly according to the requirements of the certifying agency before converting his paddy fields into a pond for growing scampi.

At present, about 200 acres are under organic scampi farming in Kuttanad region, according Mr Joseph Kora, who has been in organic paddy and scampi farming for the past nine years. He has 11 acres under the crop. For the past two years, he said, there has not been any problem for marketing his product, as an agreement has been reached between some European buyers through a Kochi-based exporting company under the auspices of the Kuttanad Vikasana Samithi (KVS). He told Business Line that his farm, both of paddy and scampi, was certified by the German Certification Agency, Naturland Association and its inspection body in India, Indocert.

“Farmers in Kuttanad can no more subsist on ordinary paddy cultivation, which is a losing proposition and, therefore, they have to be motivated to diversify into organic paddy and fresh water fish farming,” Fr Thomas Peelianickal, Executive Director, KVS, told Business Line.

Price realisation

The total growing period for scampi is eight months, including two months in the nursery. “Last year, I got a total yield of 2.5 tonnes from 11 acres. The advantage is that the price is fixed according to the grades of the scampi. Those with 100 grams and above of weight would fetch good price. Organic scampi gets 20 per cent premium in addition and as such, last season, it was sold at around Rs 400 a kg. Unorganic product was then fetching Rs 330 a kg last season. This year, the buyers have promised an increase in the premium,” he said.

“I had to invest Rs 3.75 lakh and the total sale proceeds were at Rs 5 lakh, bringing me a profit of Rs 1.25 lakh”, Mr Joseph Kora said.

Export Demand

There is good demand for organic scampi from overseas markets, mainly Europe, he said. The production, at present, is much less and as such there is a wide gap between demand and supply, he said.

The only supplier of seeds, probably in the country, is Rossen Fisheries Hatchery in Thrissur, Kerala, which had produced 11.5 lakh organic scampi seeds till early last year and, of this, 3.4 lakh seeds came to farmers in Kuttanad and the balance went to farmers in Andhra Pradesh, MPEDA sources said.

Feed cost high

“Marketing is not a problem at all now. But the seed cost is high at Rs 0.40 an organic seed while it is Rs 0.15-0.20 for unorganic seed. Similarly, cost of feeds comes to Rs 50 a kg, which is also on the higher side,” Mr Kora said. Added to this is the high cost involved every year to repair bunds around the farm to protect the farm from intrusion of other fishes/weeds through water. In fact, the Government should provide some assistance for this purpose. “The subsidy comes to Rs 15,000 at present, he said. Another burden imposed on us is electricity charges. When paddy cultivation falls under agriculture and exempted from paying any charges, our organic scampi farm is treated as industry and charged Rs 6.50 a unit and this is something un-bearable,” he alleged. The government needs to look into these aspects, only then more farmers will venture into organic agriculture, including scampi farming, he said.

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