Date:13/09/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/09/13/stories/2004091303110500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

National-level board for prawn producers promised

By Our Correspondent

BHIMAVARAM, SEPT. 12. The Union Government has assured prawn producers of setting up a national-level board on the lines of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to ensure minimum support price for prawn and also look into provision of other facilities, the Andhra Pradesh Prawn Farmers Association said.

Appeal for help

The association's State honorary president and MLA, V. Vasanth Kumar, president, Radhakrishna Reddy, secretary Kondala Rayudu and West Godavari unit president, I.P.R. Mohan Raju, met the Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, in New Delhi on Saturday. Speaking to The Hindu here on Sunday, Mr. Mohan Raju said that they had apprised the Union Ministers on the plight of the prawn industry in Andhra Pradesh.

In the memoranda submitted to the Union Ministers and other officials concerned, the team asked the Centre to look into their demands, as the prawn industry was fetching crores of foreign exchange to the national exchequer.

In spite of Andhra Pradesh being a major prawn-producing State, which was fetching Rs. 2,600 crores of annual income, no measures were taken so far by the Government to look into the problems of prawn farmers.