Create And Develop Successful Businesses Through Farm Ideas.: prawn farming

Showing posts with label prawn farming. Show all posts

Monday, October 14, 2013

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..

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.

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.