To ensure antibiotic and other banned substances-free shrimp and other exportable varieties of fish from Visakhapatnam and other places, the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) on Sunday launched a first-of-kind initiative to develop a GPS-based database of export-oriented aquaculture farms in the country.
Unique number
The MPEDA, nodal agency of the Union Commerce and Industry Ministry, said all the farms engaged in production of shrimp, shellfish and other exportable varieties of fish would be enrolled by providing the farmers cards carrying a Unique Identification Number (Farm ID) and Quick Response (QR) code containing basic information about their farms.
The QR-coded cards were formally launched by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at the CII Partnership Summit here.
An estimated 1,00,000 farms covering about 1,95,994 hectares are under shrimp culture. Of this, the MPEDA has collected the GPS data for 65,595 farms covering 1,48,321 hectares while enrolment has been completed for 54,165 farms.
In A.P. alone, more than 65,000 farmers covering 75,000 hectares are enrolled in nine coastal districts.
MPEDA Chairman Dr. A. Jayathilak said the purpose of enrolment was to identify each farm/hatchery unit for extending the assistance schemes and their traceability.
The produce from the enrolled units could be traced back from farm to end-consumer in case of detection of unwanted or banned substances in the produce.
Aqua farmers Parapathi Kumari, Viswanadhapalli Venkateswara Rao, K.V.S.K. Murthy Raju, Chapala Ramanaiah and Garapati Venu Prasad were presented enrolment cards. MP K. Haribabu and MPEDA secretary B. Sreekumar were present.
