Date:10/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/10/stories/2005051010500500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Prawn farmers call for urgent steps to tide over crisis

Staff Reporter

ELURU: The Andhra Pradesh Prawn Farmers Welfare Association, which met here on Monday, called for urgent steps to tide over the current crisis in the export market for tiger prawn caused by Japan's decision to reject the prawn containers from the country due to bad quality.

Vatti Sasanta Kumar, honorary president of the association and Congress MLA, highlighted the need for the Centre to provide better marketing facilities within the country for the produce as an answer to the problems on the export front. In this direction, he said incorporation of tiger prawn in the menu list of military personnel, among others, could be considered by the Government.

The association president, Duvvuri Radhakrishna Reddy, favoured contract farming in prawn culture with a buyback facility so that the growers did not face any marketing problem for their produce.