Shrimp farmers seek MSP for tiger prawns

The members of Combined Prakasam District Shrimp Farmers Welfare Association staged a peaceful protest demanding that the government announce minimum support price (MSP) for tiger prawns, at the Collector office in Ongole on Monday.

E. Yashwanth Kumar, President of the Association, said, “As the prices of tiger prawns have been declining in the recent times, the government should offer the MSP to protect the farmers. On the other hand, the cost of aqua chemicals had increased since Covid times and the government must bring it down.”

The government has already announced to decrease the aqua feed rate at ₹9 per kg. This must be implemented from July 1, he said.

The association members further demanded that the government offer power supply at ₹1.50 per unit to the ponds irrespective of their location in aqua zone or non-aqua zone. They also sought transformers to free power supply that had been extended till 2019.