Tirupati MP Appeals to Centre for Aquaculture Farmers’ Relief

Quick Summary:

• aquaculture farmers in andhra Pradesh are facing financial distress due to the U.S. government’s new 50% import duty on shrimp, halting exports to this key market.
• Tirupati MP Maddila Gurumoorthy highlighted the issue in Lok Sabha on August 11, 2025, urging the Central government to help create cold storage infrastructure and find alternative international markets.
• Shrimp exports from Andhra Pradesh account for about 70% of production; Tirupati district alone produces over 1.25 lakh tonnes annually across nearly 28,000 acres of cultivation.
• Prices fell by ₹230 per quintal within two days after this policy change, with farmers losing between ₹50,000 and ₹80,000 per tonne-making it difficult for them to recover costs.
• Efforts to explore china and local processing units as alternatives have not offered adequate relief; thousands of livelihoods remain at risk.

Indian opinion Analysis:
The U.S.’s decision is a critical blow to shrimp farmers in Andhra Pradesh-a state heavily reliant on aquaculture exports for revenue and employment stability.With more than two-thirds of shrimp production exported primarily to the U.S., this policy disrupts a well-established trade relationship deeply ingrained in local economies like that of Tirupati district. The losses faced by farmers underscore their dependence on volatile international markets rather than diversified buyers or robust domestic demand mechanisms.

Cold storage facilities could mitigate immediate losses by allowing longer inventory management until suitable buyers are found internationally or locally,but infrastructure development requires time and significant funding commitments from both state and central governments-not an instant solution amid mounting debts faced by producers.

A planned diversification into alternative export destinations like China might soften future crises if successfully established; however, systemic challenges can arise if these new buyers offer lower price points than existing markets or prove inconsistent over time.

The crisis highlights an urgent need for robust export market planning while addressing dependency risks faced by agro-industries reliant solely on singular markets such as the United States.

Read more: [Source Link]