Starting a small scale freshwater prawn farming business-Things to take care

   

    Freshwater prawn farming is evolving as one of the profitable farm business sector.The increasing demand from food processing industries and foreign countries makes it one of the profitable business sector in freshwater farming .Besides it can be easily incorporated with other farming like fish farming,duck farming etc.So many young entrepreneurs are very much interested in prawn farming.Here we are going to discuss about starting a small scale freshwater prawn farm business and what are the things need to be taken care while starting such a farm business.

    Like any other farm business,there are lots of opportunities as well as risks involved in freshwater prawn farming.For starting a Small scale prawn farm business,you should find a suitable water body,preferably a nearby pond. Before starting the farm,the farmer should visit at least two farms to understand the basic things.This will help him to have a clear idea about the type of business he is going to do. Consulting with  Various government agencies like fisheries department will help him to get proper guidance.We need to do some market study also to get proper understanding about our market.

Before starting the business we should have a brief idea about following points ...

• Infrastructure: Infrastructural requirements are very critical in the case of Prawn farming.We should have a shed  and a freshwater pond for the farm requirement.If we are planning for hatcheries we should build more tanks with net covering.
• Breeds:Selection of seeds are very important for the success of the farm.We should select locally adaptable,high quality seeds which give maximum return at minimum investment.Type of water in our pond should be considered while selecting the breed.Giant freshwater prawn,Scampi is suitable for majority of areas.
• Water management: Water treatments are very essential for a healthier production of prawns.At the initial stage,Pond water should be tested for understanding the nature of water and its PH value.Then treatments for minerals and nutrients which are lacking should be done.Salinity also should be controlled.Each breeds require different type of water conditions.So consult with nearby government agencies for better guidance.
• Feeding:It is very important to maintain an adequate phytoplankton density inside the pond.The commonly used feeds are which prepared by mixing animal or vegetable raw materials.Commercially available prawn feeds also can be used.But it is advised to use farm prepared feeds.
• Disease treatment: The treatments for diseases can be done by treating pond water.So it is always advised to maintain quality water in ponds.Replacing small proportion of water continuously will help to maintain water quality.Regular water testing can help you to prevent lots of diseases.Please consult with nearby fisheries department for getting guidance for treating diseases.Low oxygen levels and high Ph of water should be treated immediately.
• Harvesting:Rectangular ponds are better suitable for harvesting.We can use cull harvesting or drain harvesting.Cull harvesting is done for removing big prawns from the pond and to encourage the growth of smaller ones.The final harvesting can be done by drain harvesting.
• Marketing:Marketing can be done either by processing the harvested prawns or not processing.At the initial stage we can go for selling prawns without processing.But at later stages we should find ways to process the prawns to value added products as it is more profitable.A detailed market study is essential for it.

    These are some brief ideas about the prawn farming.For detailed knowledge,please visit the portal of TAU Freshwater prawn farming.It is always recommended that you visit farms for getting practical knowledge.Hope this post will help you to get an idea about starting a small scale prawn farming..

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