Jharkhand launches large-scale freshwater prawn farming to meet demand
Jharkhand has moved into the second phase of giant freshwater prawn farming, releasing 2.3 million seeds into nine water bodies as the state tries to replace imports and raise fish-farmer incomes.
India's Jharkhand state has launched the second phase of a giant freshwater prawn farming programme aimed at replacing supplies imported from other states and improving local producer incomes. According to the Directorate of Fisheries, 23 lakh prawn seeds were released into selected dams and water bodies about a week before publication. The species is Macrobrachium rosenbergii, and officials expect the prawns to reach market size by October this year.
The programme is being run with support from the ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute in Barrackpore, West Bengal. Times of India reported that the second phase now covers nine water bodies across the state. After the pilot stage, the project was expanded to two dams in Ranchi, Karanji Dam in Bero and Opa Dam in Chanho, along with one site each in Lohardaga, Latehar, Dumka and Gumla, while work also continues in the original locations.
The first phase began in 2022 with one dam each in Simdega, Hazaribag and Gumla, where 6 lakh seeds were released. State fisheries director Amarendra Kumar said that phase yielded about 5 tonnes of freshwater prawns and benefited around 500 fish farmers. The harvested prawns weighed between 90 grams and 400 grams each, and sold in local markets at roughly Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 per kilogram.
Kumar said Jharkhand has a large prawn market, but the state had been relying on imports because local farming was not taking place at scale. The stated goal is to narrow that demand-supply gap through domestic production. He said the second phase is expected to benefit at least 1,000 people and has a production target of at least 10 tonnes, with the possibility of a higher output if the crop performs well.
For now, the department is concentrating on dams because freshwater prawn cultivation is typically carried out in shallow waters. At the same time, it has also placed prawn seeds in a pond in Palamu as a trial. If pond-based rearing succeeds, the number of usable water bodies and beneficiaries could increase significantly. Officials say a successful second phase would support rollout across every district in Jharkhand, with future sales first serving local markets and later potentially moving into interstate and export channels, similar to the state's existing fish shipments to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Chhattisgarh.