Aqua farmers protest shrimp feed price hike in Ongole

Aquaculture farmers staged a protest in front of the Fisheries Department office in Ongole on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) against the rise in shrimp feed prices. They demanded strict action against the feed manufacturing companies that have increased prices without the permission of the Andhra Pradesh State Aquaculture Development Authority (APSADA).

Prakasam Shrimp Farmers Association president Duggineni Gopinath said that the shrimp feed companies have unilaterally increased tiger shrimp feed by ₹10-70 per kg and Vannamei shrimp feed by ₹8-40 per kg without the permission of the State government, citing that the prices of raw materials used in feed manufacturing have gone up.

He said, “As per the increased feed prices, the additional cost of production will increase by ₹35 to 40 per kg for farmers cultivating tiger shrimp and by ₹15 to 20 per kg for farmers cultivating Vannamei shrimp. This will be a heavy burden on the farmers who have been suffering due to non-remunerative prices in the export market.”