U.K. returnee finds success in aquaculture, wins State award

When he quit his high-paying job in the United Kingdom to return home, Ambareesh Kishore of Thiruvangoor in Kozhikode district was planning to enter the seafood export business. But destiny and his innate interest in farming diverted him into aquaculture.

Receiving the award for the best Prawns farmer in the State from the Department of Fisheries recently, for Mr. Ambareesh, was the result of his persistence, hard work, and research.

“I had resigned from my job in the seafood industry and came home to set up a seafood export business. But at that time, the pricing for seafood in the local market was too high for us to make any decent profit. Coming into aquaculture was accidental,” he told The Hindu.

Mr. Ambareesh was interested in farming from a young age. He had planned to set up a farm alongside his full-time job. But now he is a full-time farmer, while his partner Sajith continues on the job. He took over 18 acres of water from his cousin and experimented with pisciculture for a few years. “We did some research in the field, travelled to several farms across the State and finally zeroed in on prawn farming,” he said.

‘Aqua Feast’, his farm, produced 12.5 tonnes of prawns in the last harvest season. What started as two ponds and two reservoirs in 2022 has now developed into four ponds and two reservoirs.

The ponds have been specially designed for Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Bunds were constructed, and biosecurity was ensured in the process. “We have developed a model farm and hence have several visitors”, said Mr. Ambareesh, who has also provided employment to several others in the locality.

At a time when youngsters in the State are increasingly migrating to foreign countries for studies and employment, Mr. Ambareesh has done quite the opposite and proved that success is quite accessible at home for those who work hard.