Khulna: The prospect of boosting the farming and production of vannamei (white leg) shrimp in the Khulna region remains promising, as it holds the potential to enhance export earnings significantly. Dr. Latiful Islam, Chief Scientific Officer of the Brackish Water Center at Paikgasa, Khulna, emphasized the importance of shrimp as a major foreign currency-earning sector. He urged cultivators and businessmen to collaborate in increasing shrimp production.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, commercial farming of vannamei shrimp, alongside other shrimp varieties, could be instrumental in increasing shrimp exports. Dr. Latiful Islam noted the dominance of vannamei shrimp in the market, highlighting its successful initial experimental cultivation in Khulna. The shrimp are raised in saline water sourced from the Bay of Bengal, which undergoes treatment to eliminate bacterial and viral contamination before being supplied to designated ponds equipped with pollution protection and environmental safeguards.
Specialized feed is used for vannamei shrimp, with Seamark BD importing feed, fry, and technology from abroad, adhering to strict standards and seeking foreign assistance for technology implementation. The Department of Fisheries (DoF) has approved the cultivation of white leg shrimp in the region, a significant area for export-oriented shrimp farming, following years of concerns about the potential impact of foreign species on native varieties like black tiger shrimp.
The success of the initial pilot project led the DoF to permit 27 firms, including M.U. Sea Foods Ltd, Grow Tech Aquaculture Ltd, and Fahim Seafood Ltd, to cultivate the hybrid shrimp variety on a trial basis. The average production per hectare of vannamei shrimp is 6,761 kg more than the Bagda variety, with higher production rates, lower costs, and favorable attributes such as affordability, availability, and taste.
Sheikh Abdul Baki, Vice-president of the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA), highlighted that while Bangladesh has yet to produce vannamei shrimp commercially, 14 other Asian countries have embraced its production. He stressed that necessary steps could enable Bangladesh to enter the commercial production market, potentially capturing a significant share of the global shrimp industry.
Pabittra Kumar Das, Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer, Paikgasa, Khulna, expressed optimism about the pilot project’s results, which promise enhanced productivity for shrimp processing plants and farmers. Unlike traditional shrimp cultivation, which allows for one annual harvest, vannamei shrimp can be cultivated three times a year, resulting in vastly higher yields of 7,000-8,000 kg per hectare compared to the 300-400 kg yield of regular shrimp ponds.
Mostafa Nuruzzaman, CEO of Sushilan, a nongovernment development organization, asserted that vannamei cultivation is crucial for sustaining exports without environmental repercussions. Sheikh Abdul Baki emphasized the lower production cost of vannamei shrimp compared to black tiger shrimp, making it more competitive in the global market, where consumers seek cheaper options.
The frozen shrimp sector’s export volume and earnings could double within five years by focusing on vannamei shrimp, simultaneously meeting local demand.