District has high potential for paddy-shrimp cultivation

 The 'rice and shrimp' farming scheme launched in Ezhome, Cherukunnu and Kannapuram panchayats under the Tsunami Rehabilitation Project (TRP) has turned out to be a success story for 10 self-help groups (SHGs), each having 10 beneficiary members. Of the10 SHG units formed to cultivate paddy and shrimp under the project, being implemented by the Brackish Water Fish Farmers' Development Agency (BFFDA) here, four units that undertook paddy cultivation have earned around Rs.2 lakh from single-crop paddy farming. Nearly all the 10 units have already stocked shrimp seeds for the traditional aquaculture in the kaipad areas being revived by the SHG groups. BFFDA officials here said that the rotational as well as simultaneous paddy-shrimp farming could be practised in an additional 500 ha of kaipad land (tidal marshes) in the district that once had 2,500 ha of kaipad land under this farming system. Of the total 1,200 ha kaipad land now in the district, 500 ha area that was left fallow for several years could be revived for paddy-shrimp farming, they said. Since the scheme initially yielded good results, non-utilisation of a large extent of 'kaipad' areas here is seen as wastage of resources. The areas that could be utilised for paddy-shrimp farming include 150 ha in Ezhome, 100 ha in Pattuvam, 140 ha in Cherukunnu and the remaining in Kunhimanagalam, Cheruthazham, Kannapuram, Mattool and Pappinissery panchayats.The advantage of this system is that two local varieties of paddy seeds ('kuthil nellu' and 'orkayama') that are resistant to salinity are used. Rice farming is done during monsoon (June-October). Shrimp farming is either taken up post-monsoon (November-April) or simultaneously with rice farming.BFFDA officials said that the traditional kaipad system could yield 3,000 kg of rice and 300 kg shrimp per ha for the monsoon crop and additional 600 kg shrimp per ha could be produced for the second crop. Bunds had been constructed in areas where the paddy-shrimp farming system was revived, they said. Tidal as well as monsoon flow in the kaipad lands was regulated through specially designed wooden sluices fixed on the bunds. Efforts were now on to plant mangroves along the outer margins of the bunds for protection from sudden sea surges and flooding. By mid-April, when tidal water recedes, prawn capture would be completed, they said.The land will then be left for drying for about six weeks. After a few showers of monsoon, which will wash away the land's salinity, paddy will be sown by July. The paddy will be ready for harvest by October.The cost per SHG unit for this under the TRP is estimated at Rs. 7.59 lakh. Each unit will get a TRP share of Rs.4.55 lakh, while 35 per cent of the cost will be raised through bank loans and five per cent as beneficiaries' contribution.

 

The Hindu, 5th  March  2009