In view of expansion of brackish water shrimp farming in salt affected areas of Punjab, College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University 
(GADVASU) organised one day training programme on “Best Management Practices for Shrimp Farming”. The objective was to sensitize the farmers to adopt scientific management practices for long term sustainability. Eleven enthusiastic farmers, including fish farmers from salt affected districts of Shri Muktsar Sahib, Faridkot and Fazilka, attended the training, who were interested to take up shrimp farming in their salt affected underproductive/unproductive lands.
The course coordinator Dr.Prabjeet Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Fisheries Resource Management, revealed that complete technical knowhow with respect to vannamei shrimp farming was provided to the participants. The farmers were apprised of the need of adoption and adherence to Best Management Practices (BMPs) in shrimp farming for reaping higher yields and income. Technical coordinators Dr. Shanthanagouda and Dr.Sachin O. Khairnar executed the technical session on construction and designing shrimp ponds and BMPs with respect to water quality, feeding and health management. Dr. Meera D. Ansal, Head Aquaculture, informed that vannamei shrimp is a highly priced export commodity, which holds immense potential of farming in inland saline areas of south-west districts of the state, with a net earning of Rs 3-4 lakh/acres in just 4 months. She further advised the farmers to adopt cluster shrimp farming to procure safe good quality seed from registered hatcheries and sell their produce to big buyers at national level.
Dr. H.K. Verma, Director of Extension GADVASU told that regular trainings on dairy farming, goat farming, pig farming and fish farming are conducted by directorate to educate and train the farmers to take up different livestock farming systems for livelihood and diversification.
While addressing the participants, Dr. Asha Dhawan, Dean College of Fisheries, advocated that farmers with fish farming experience only should take up vannamei shrimp farming, as it involves highly intensive farming practices and needs technical expertise throughout the culture, from procurement of seed to harvesting and marketing of the produce. She also advised the trainees to follow the scientific recommendations strictly to prevent any untoward incidence of economic loss due to management flaws, with special reference to disease outbreak. Technical literature was distributed to the trainees and it was proposed to organise off-campus meet of shrimp farmers shortly for technical support and guidance.
