From US Tariffs To West Asia War, Double Blow Strike AP Aquaculture Farmers

Machilipatnam: Just as aquaculture farmers began recovering from earlier setbacks, a fresh crisis has hit hard. The ongoing tensions in West Asia, particularly involving Iran, the United States and Israel, have severely impacted shrimp exports, leaving farmers and exporters in distress across the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh.

With exports to Gulf nations declining sharply, the industry is now grappling with falling prices and rising operational burdens. Farmers say they are caught in a painful dilemma, with neither viable markets to sell nor facilities to store their produce.

The district, with a 121-kilometre coastline, has aquaculture spread across 1.07 lakh acres in 25 mandals, producing nearly 3.5 lakh tonnes annually. However, in just two weeks, the price of ‘50-count’ shrimp has dropped by ₹45 per kilogram, translating to a loss of nearly ₹45,000 per tonne.

"Earlier, after the tariff hikes by the US, we shifted focus to Gulf countries and tourist destinations abroad. Now, due to the war, even those markets have slowed down," said a representative of the exporters’ association. The decline in tourism in Gulf hubs like Dubai has further reduced demand.

Farmers are already reeling under losses caused by white spot disease and climatic fluctuations during December and January. Just as they prepared to sell the surviving crop, the sudden export disruption has pushed prices to rock bottom.

"I cultivated shrimp on two acres. I sold part of my produce at ₹315 per kg, but now rates have fallen below ₹300," said Alaparthi Subrahmanyam from Nagayalanka mandal.

"If we sell now, we will incur losses. If we store, the maintenance costs are unbearable. We invested lakhs hoping the worst was over, but the situation has turned worse again," he lamented.

Adding to their woes, farmers allege that middlemen are exploiting the crisis to push prices down further. With no immediate relief in sight, shrimp farmers across the region are staring at mounting losses, hoping for government intervention or a revival in export markets to safeguard their livelihoods.