Friday, December 21, 2012

Coco peat:-New substrate in Mushroom farming

  Many Mushroom farmers are not aware of the possibilities of other substrates as an alternative to traditional straws or hay. Sterilization of straw and its preparation for bed require lots of hard work and skill.These issues led to the development of alternate substrates which require less work and skills for producing good quality mushrooms. Coco peat is one of such newly invented substrate which made mushroom bed preparation very easy and simple.

What is Coco peat ?

  Coco peat  is a compressed fiber cake manufactured from coconut fibers.It is easily available in India especially in Kerala.It is available in sterilized form so no need to sterilize it for preparing bed.Just add a calculated amount of water and it will absorb that water and form a suitable substrate for mushroom farming.Bed preparation using Coco peat  is very easy.

Implementation of Coco peat  in Bed preparation

 Add 500gm Coco peat  cake to 1 Ltr of water.It will start to absorb water and form a suitable substrate which can be used for preparing two beds.Form a layer of Coco peat  in 1 inch size and then add spawn on it.Repeat it till  six or seven layers are formed. 

Advantages of Coco peat 

  • We can prepare mushroom beds very easily
  • No need to do sterilization(as the cakes are prepared after sterilization)
  • It can be re-used again by sterilizing
  • The waste can be used for growing plants and for preparation of composts
  • It is very convenient and hygienic to use Coco peat 
Dis advantages of Coco peat 
  • It is costly than straws
  • Yield will be less compared to straw
 Coco peat  made it easy for a new Mushroom farmer to start experience the world of Mushroom farming.But we need to keep in mind that it is only an alternate substrate.A well experienced farmer will always prefer straws as they are cheaper and will provide maximum yield.

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Monday, December 10, 2012

How to do Small scale Prawn farming business

 Freshwater prawn farming is always a challenge for new farmers who have little experience in fish farming. But for an experienced farmer, it is always a good profit generating small scale business idea. In India,a farmer can easily arrange a space for prawn farming as there are lots of freshwater bodies available.But there are lots of things which need to be considered before starting a prawn farming.

Preparing a pond/water body for prawn farming

 The water body can be pond,river or parts of field where we can store water for prawn farming.Lets say it as pond for our convenience.The pond should have minimum 2.5 feet depth and rectangular shape is preferred. The bottom of the pond should be cleaned well and PH should be leveled in the range of 7-8.Applying Lime will help to prevent diseases and increase plankton in the pond.Pure water should be available inside the pond.Apply cow dung at the bottom.This will help to increase the fertility of pond and thus increase the aquatic life inside the pond.If the area is a field,then the food availability will be high for prawns.Allow 8-10 days for the pond to develop aquatic life inside it.

Growing and Feeding

 Larvae preparation and growing them for one month are done at Hatchery.We can buy good quality one month old freshwater prawns from Hatcheries.Prawns have to be released 10-20 thousands per hector basis.They should be fed 2-3 times a day.Oxygen level of pond water should be monitored and quality water should be ensured.As the prawns grow,more oxygen and food is required in the pond.So the food quantity and aeration should be increased.

Harvesting

 Prawns are normally harvested after 6 months.but it depends upon their growing conditions and breed.They will be at an average of 40g per prawn at this time. Initially partial harvesting is done to reduce the density of prawns inside the pond.Then later full harvesting is done by draining the pond and putting a net at the water outlet.The collected prawns are cleaned and processed for marketing.

Marketing

 Local market is always a good customer for freshwater prawns.But exporting will help farmer to get more income.Exporters are invited to the farm before the harvest and contract is signed as bulk.This will help the farmer to avoid marketing headache.By forming co-operative societies,farmers can do direct exporting or can negotiate with exporters for better price.Even direct selling in local market also possible.

Risks

 There are risks associated with this farming.There are lots of diseases which may wipe out entire prawns in a pond.By consulting our local veterinary doctor or fisheries experts,we can prevent them or take remedies.The pond should be protected from predators and intruders.

  Prices of food especially fish items are increasing day by day and more people prefer fish items rather than meats.So the demand and profitability of fish farming will always increase.So this is a good business opportunity for an innovative farmer.

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Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Freshwater Prawn farming in India

 Freshwater Prawn farming has great scope in India.Even though the names Prawn and Shrimp are used synonymously,there is a small difference in between them.Shrimps are small and are more related to marine water than Prawns.However for a common customer,the names are synonymous and is a delicious food.India is blessed with large number of rivers,ponds and other freshwater bodies.Already fresh water fish farming is well popularized as a small scale business in India.By adopting both farming techniques,an innovative farmer can nearly double his income.

 Prawns always have great demand in Local and International markets.USA,Canada and European countries are main customers of exported Prawns.Previously all High quality Prawns were exported to foreign countries.But now,the demand for Quality Prawns increased in local markets and customers are willing to pay more for quality prawns.So it is a good chance for local producers to get more value and profit from their product.

 The most commonly used Prawn for fresh water farming is Giant freshwater Prawn.It is also called as Scampi.This breed is popular for its high growth rate and big size.The decrease in the availability of shrimps from marine sources results in high demand for freshwater prawns.There are lots of compatible freshwater fishes which can be easily grown together with prawns.This leaves a golden chance for freshwater fish farmer to grow prawns without any extra infra requirements.Only they need is proper knowledge and deep insight towards this farm business.We can discuss more about freshwater prawn farming in coming posts.

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