Viability of shrimp farming to be tested in Punjab

MNSUA plans to set up shrimp culture of 7,500 seeds at Jalalpur Pirwala farm

MULTAN: Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture (MNSUA) plans to set up a shrimp culture of 7,500 seeds at Jalalpur Pirwala farm in the current month to evaluate the sustainability of Punjab’s soil and environment for farming.

Dr Naheed Bano, an assistant professor of Animal Sciences and Aqua Culture at the varsity, said that China was the biggest producer of shrimps followed by Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand Bangladesh and India.

She stated that saline and brackish water with controlled temperatures were pre-requisites for shrimp growth, adding that the water at Jalalpur Pirwala was also saline. She said that shrimps were among those sea creatures which contained a lesser amount of mercury such as trout, prawns and cat fish.

Mercury affects different human organs such as the brain, and skin, she said. She revealed that shrimps have omega-3, fatty acids and anti-oxidants and play a vital role in the brain’s development. There are thousands of species of shrimps, but only 20 species are of great importance commercially, she informed.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2019.