College of Fisheries demonstrated shrimp pickle prepared from vannamei shrimp produced in saline water areas of Punjab, which a highly priced export .JPG)
commodity and is contributing more than 60% to total aquatic products exported from India. Dr. Asha Dhawan Dean College of Fisheries informed that about 20 framers in district Fazilka and District Mukatsar have taken up shrimp farming in saline water areas under the technical guidance from GADVASU. Shrimp is a highly nutritive aquatic food containing growth promoting superior quality protein, enriched with all the essential amino acids and is also a rich source of cholesterol lowering polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as well as important health promoting minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, sodium and potassium. Vannamei shrimp is a cold sensitive species, which can be reared only during summer months (April-October) and is harvested before the onset of winters. Hence, shrimp pickle has been developed for enhanced value and availability of shrimp in the market. Further, it can help the farming community to develop small scale entrepreneurships and generate employment, with special reference to rural women. Shrimp is a highly remunerative crop with net profit of 3-4 lakhs/acre in just 4 months, which is being promoted in salt affected areas of Punjab and needs to be linked with processing for additional socio-economic benefits.
Health promoting fish feeds have also been developed by College of Fisheries through supplementation with medicinal herbs like garlic, Aloe vera, neem and ginger. These herbs improve the immune system of the fish and also possess growth promoting properties, which helps the fish to stay healthy and grow fast. These herbs are being used for ages in human household and are easily available. Farmers can grow them easily on the pond dykes and incorporate them in their farm made feeds for higher yield and profit. In this modern world, more and more emphasis is being given to develop organic health management practices, where medicinal herbs hold substantial scope with respect to sustainability in terms of environmental and human safety. Hence, university is conducting research to identify suitable medicinal herbs that can be utilized in livestock sector for better health and production.
