Since arriving in Bangladesh during the first part of the assignment, field visits have been made to the two main shrimp growing areas: the region south of Khulna and Satkhira, and the peninsula from Cox's Bazar to Teknaf. The site of the BS at Paikgacha was visited on the 18th April 1988 with the appointed CSO, Dr Aminullah Bhuiyan.
The Khulna-Satkhira region was visited from the 17th to the 21st April 1988. The first of the public sector shrimp farming activities in the region was the Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP) demonstration farm at Satkhira. This has very recently been taken over by the Gramin Bank. The project is now known as the Satkhira Shrimp Farm. The farm consists of ten 0.8 ha ponds, one 1.7 ha pond and one 7.5 ha pond, which are fed by a single tidal channel which also serves as a drainage channel. Although it must have been the intention to operate the farm on a semi-intensive basis, and indeed the farm is well designed in most respects to achieve this aim, it appears strange that a separate drainage channel was not provided.
The salinity in the ponds varies from 2-26 ‰ throughout the year. The new farm manager has yet to harvest any of the ponds, however, records maintained by the BOBP suggest that production levels of 240 kg ha-1 yr-1 have been reached in the past. The ponds were recently stocked with Penaeus monodon postlarvae at about 20,000 ha-1. Unspecified quantities of cow dung, triple superphosphate and urea have been used as fertilisers, and before stocking the ponds were limed at 50 kg ha-1. The shrimp are currently being fed a supplementary diet manufactured at the farm from fish meal, wheat bran and oilseed cake.
The largest Government shrimp farming project in the area is being funded by the IDA and is being administered by the Directorate of Fisheries (DOF). The IDA Shrimp Culture Project comprises two parts: one near Khulna and another south of Cox's Bazar. The budget for the entire project is 117 crore Taka (US$ 36.5 million). The six year project (1985/86 to 1990/91) involves the development of 3,500 acres (1,405 ha) of shrimp-cum-paddy farming in the Khulna area, most of which will be leased to individual farmers as 10 acre (4 ha) ponds. The project will also operate a demonstration farm and a hatchery, and provide an extension service for the leaseholders and other local farmers.
A private shrimp farm of about 450 acres (180 ha) was visited in the immediate vicinity of Paikgacha. The farm is operated by an absentee leaseholder (a colonel in the army) who pays an average of Tk 5,100 acre yr-1 to small local landowners. The area was originally cultivated for paddy. A farm manager runs the operation on behalf of the 'owner'. About 60 staff are employed on the farm on an average salary of Tk 620 per month. Some of the guards are armed. The entire 450 acres is basically farmed as a single pond through the flooding of the original paddy fields by creating a sluice gate in the Bangladesh Water Development Board's dyke. The operation is therefore akin to ranching rather than extensive farming.
The farm is stocked with a total of about two million P monodon postlarvae per year (stocked twice per year in roughly equal quantities) which are bought from local collectors for about Tk 500 (maximum Tk 550) per thousand. This is equivalent to a stocking density of 11,000 ha yr-1. The farm produces a single crop per year which is harvested every 15 days according to the lunar cycle using a screened catchment basin or goi. According to the farm manager, the harvest of shrimp is not more than 100 kg ha-1 yr-1. It is estimated that the farm makes an profit of not more than Tk 11,00,000 (US$ 34,000) per year with annual operating expenses of Tk 38,40,000 (US$ 120,000).
A second private farm of about 300 acres (120 ha) was visited at Pankhali in the Munshiganj area. The farmer owns some of the land himself and has leased additional land from neighbouring smallholders. Unlike the previous case the owner lives on the site and manages the farm personally. The operation was started four years ago, and the owner has since attempted to introduce more intensive methods. Although the farm basically consists of a single pond, partial division of the farm into smaller units has been attempted through the construction of inner dykes. These have gaps at intervals without sluice gates or monks. Although different areas of the farm can be managed slightly differently (in terms of the quantities of fertiliser and feed supplied), the shrimp are free to move anywhere within the outer dyke of the farm.
Stocking is carried out three times per year at 3,000 acre-1. This is equivalent to 22,000 ha-1, and represents a very high stocking rate by Bangladeshi standards. Prior to stocking, the pond(s) are fertilised with cow dung. Unusually, the shrimp are given a supplementary feed manufactured at the farm. This consists of shrimp heads (50 %), wheat bran (12.5 %), rice bran (12.5 %) and potato (25 %). The ingredients are mixed by hand, cooked and either passed through a meat chopper and extruder to form pellets or are moulded by hand into cakes (8–10 cm in diameter and 5–8 mm thick) and finally sun dried. The potato acts as a binder.
According to the owner different parts of the farm produce 60-200 kg of shrimp per acre per year. Since the farm is harvested using a goi and all parts of the farm are interconnected, it is difficult to understand how the owner can obtain independent estimates of the production rate from different parts of the farm. The owner, who is a local man, appears to be quite affluent and is evidently making a comfortable living from the farm. He is anxious to intensify his production, and introduce improved technology and management.
Shrimp fry prices during the last 12 months in the Khulna-Satkhira area have generally been in the range of Tk 300–600 per thousand, with an average of Tk 500. This is substantially higher than the prices around Cox's Bazar (see below). Land prices are in the range of Tk 25,000–35,000 acre-1 Poldered land already protected by Government dykes can be leased for Tk 4,500-6,000 acre-1 yr-1, whilst unprotected land can be leased for as little as Tk 1,500 acre-1 yr-1, but the farm operator will have to construct the dykes himself.
Before leaving Khulna a visit was made to the shrimp hatchery, and processing and packing plant of Gemini Sea Food Ltd. This was arranged by Dr Bhuiyan through the company's head office in Dhaka. Originally Gemini Sea Food operated a Macrobrachium hatchery and a shrimp farm adjacent to the processing and packing plant, but these have both been closed down for various reasons. Part of the shrimp hatchery and the nursery ponds are now used as a carp hatchery.
The company continues to process and pack shrimp and frogs legs which are purchased from farmers, fishermen and frog collectors in the Khulna area. Fish used to be processed at one time, but this has since been discontinued. The current production of the plant is about 100,000 lb (ca 45 t) per month, compared to 1,500,000 lb (ca 700 t) per month for all the processing and packing plants in Bangladesh combined. Three to four container ships are needed each month to export the total production from Bangladesh, however there is often a shortage of suitable vessels which creates serious problems for the industry. Cold stores are often full, and as a result production has to be reduced. This is a matter which should be taken up with the Directorate-General of Shipping, of the Ministry of Shipping.
Gemini Sea Food employs 65 permanent staff at the plant, and a further 100– 400 contract workers from a manpower supply company depending on the volume of shrimp and frogs. Processing and packing is carried out almost exclusively by hand. The product is frozen in standard packs using plate freezers. Most of the production is exported to Japan and the USA. According to the company they have experienced no problems with the FDA (United States Federal Drug Administration). Regular quality control is conducted by the Bangladesh Government with independent checking by Lloyds (the international insurance underwriters and surveyors). Excellent quality freshwater for the plant is obtained from a very deep tubewell (1,200 ft).
The Cox's Bazar-Teknaf coastal area was visited from the 24th to the 30th April 1988. An initial visit was made to the Marine Biological Laboratory of the Directorate of Fisheries (DOF), where the administrative offices of the Cox's Bazar section of the IDA Shrimp Culture Project are located. Under this project it is planned to establish a penaeid shrimp hatchery close to Cox's Bazar and 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of shrimp ponds at Rampura within an existing polder with a perimeter of 39 miles (62 km). Single 10 acre (4 ha) ponds will be leased to individual shrimp farmers. A further 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) has been earmarked for subsequent development by the private sector.
In the long term it is planned to establish a total of nine private hatcheries. A 22 acre (9 ha) demonstration farm and training centre will be built soon on a site already selected at Teknaf. A visit to the site was combined with a short trip to St Martin's Island where there is a sole shrimp farm consisting of a single tidal pond. Due to a shortage of rainfall the salinity in the pond was in excess of 40 ‰ and the shrimp (Penaeus monodon) had stopped growing.
A brief visit was made to the ADB Macrobrachium hatchery at Cox's Bazar. Although completed some time ago, the hatchery is still not functioning due to the lack of a reliable seawater supply. Water of the correct salinity was to have been produced by mixing seawater and tubewell water. The hatchery buildings are over-designed and the services poorly planned. Bronze gate valves appear to have been installed in saline pipelines, and uPVC piping is largely unprotected from UV radiation from the sun with the result that it already shows signs of serious deterioration. The Filipino consultants engaged by ADB are currently redesigning the pumping system to cope with the very fine grained beach sand which completely blocked the original seawell. It is not known when the hatchery will finally become operational.
The ADB shrimp farming project at Rampura was also visited. This comprises a 50 acre (20 ha) demonstration shrimp farm for penaeid shrimps and a further 1,715 acres (700 ha) for private farmers. The concept is the same as for the IDA project in that single 11 acre (4 ha) ponds will be leased to 115 individual shrimp farmers. The demonstration farm comprises 13 growout ponds of 13.4 ha each and four smaller nursery ponds. Although the project was started long before the similar IDA project, there has been a number of serious design problems which has affected its operation. Shrimp production was attempted from 1984 onwards. The revenue from the farm was Tk 315,000, Tk 444,000 and Tk 162,000 for the years 1984–1985, 1985–1986 and 1986–1987 respectively.
The height of the 16 km outer perimeter dyke is currently being raised, since the entire site was inundated during the 1987 monsoon. The Filipino consultants (the same firm that designed the ADB Macrobrachium hatchery) are currently remodelling other parts of the farm. It is due to start production again in June 1988, although this would seem unlikely from the amount of work which still needs to be done. The salinity in the ponds varies from 5–40 ‰. The ponds are tidal, although an auxiliary pump is available for use during neap tides.
The area occupied by the ADB shrimp farming project was originally covered by dwarf mangroves (Avicennia sp) and therefore acid sulphate soils should have been expected. In excavating the ponds, sulphide layers have been exposed and as a result of oxidation the pH of the soil and water in the bottoms of the ponds was very low at the time of the visit.
The site selection for both the ADB and IDA shrimp farms at Cox's Bazar is highly suspect. In my view, it is extremely doubtful whether intensive or semi-intensive shrimp farming is commercially viable under the conditions prevailing at the ADB site.
Beximco Fisheries Ltd have two shrimp farming operations in the Cox's Bazar area and have recently started a new operation near Satkhira. The 90 acre (36 ha) Macrobrachium farm at Badar Khali near Cox's Bazar was not visited. However, a visit was arranged to see the combined penaeid shrimp and salt production farm near Rampura.
The total area of the farm is 190 acres (77 ha) which in the wet season is used exclusively for the production of P monodon. During the dry season, the shrimp production area is reduced to 95 acres (38 ha) and the remainder is used for the production of sea salt. The shrimp production cycle consists of a period spent in nursery ponds followed by three months' growout.
The ponds are tidal, although eight small auxiliary pumps are used to provide water to the nursery ponds on a daily basis during neap tides. The salinity in the creek during the dry season is normally 20–30 ‰, although in the ponds it rises to 40 ‰ or more. During the wet season the salinity is 10–15 ‰ and occasionally as low as 0 ‰. Cow dung and urea are used as fertilisers, and up to 400 kg ha-1 of slaked lime is applied annually to control the pH. It is claimed that a single crop of about 120 kg acre-1 (300 kg ha-1) is produced per year. Salt production is in the order of 750 maunds acre-1 (70 t ha-1). Raw sea salt from the salt pans sells for about Tk 50 maund-1.
A number of other salt producers were also visited whilst in the Cox's Bazar area. The range of production was reported to be 200–600 maunds acre-1 yr-1. This is equivalent to 18–55 t ha-1 yr-1.
Allah-Wala Ltd is reputed to have achieved the highest production of penaeid shrimp of any farm in Bangladesh. This claim would appear to be not unreasonable in the light of a visit to the farm. The total area of the farm is 80 acres (32 ha) comprising 10 growout ponds of 1.5–10.0 acres (0.6–4.0 ha) and 11 nursery ponds of 0.12 ha, which are operated on a semi-intensive basis. Although primarily tidal, the water in the ponds can also be partially exchanged through the use of pumps during neap tides. The ponds are fertilised with cow dung and urea before stocking.
The shrimps are fed on a supplementary diet manufactured at the farm from fish meal (30–35 %), oil seed cake (7 %), rice bran (15–20 %), wheat flour (12–15 %) and pulses (20 %). In future it is planned to add a vitamin and mineral pre-mix at 0.5 %. Bananas have been used as an ingredient in the past, but this has now been discontinued. The owner's son claims that the farm has produced up to 370 kg acre-1 (915 kg ha-1). If this level can be achieved on a regular basis the result is excellent for Bangladesh. At present only one crop of shrimps is being produced per year, however, it is planned to produce two in future.
Allah-Wala Ltd also owns an ice block making plant with a capacity of 350 blocks per day and a hatchery for the production of Macrobrachium, and P monodon and Penaeus merguiensis postlarvae. The hatchery has been running for two years and has a production target of 10 million Macrobrachium postlarvae per year. The Macrobrachium postlarvae are fed on Artemia nauplii, cooked egg yolk and clam meat. The current survival rate of the postlarvae from the egg is about 25–30 %. The Macrobrachium postlarvae sell for Tk 440 per thousand when 1.0–1.5 cm in length. The production of penaeid postlarvae has been started only very recently, however, the initial results are very encouraging. The company is also experimenting with the production of sub-adult and adult Artemia in a small pond adjacent to the hatchery.
There is a second private ‘hatchery’ in the Cox's Bazar area. The Katali Shrimp Farm is situated a few miles south of Cox's Bazar at the top of the beach. The owner is currently buying in very small postlarvae (10–15 mm in length) at Tk 40–100 per thousand, growing them on and then reselling them to shrimp farms when they have reached 1–2 g individual weight at Tk 700–1,000 per thousand. He plans to experiment with the eyestalk ablation of Penaeus monodon and full hatchery production of this species in future. The output from the farm is very small at the present time.
The price of shrimp postlarvae in the Cox's Bazar area is usually much cheaper than at Khulna or Satkhira. Current prices are in the range of Tk 40–200 per thousand depending on the season.
