4 days ago
Andhra Pradesh shrimp farmers gear up for Statewide stir over steep U.S. tariffs
Leaders of farmers' organisations and representatives of the aquaculture sector have announced a phased agitation seeking urgent government intervention to support shrimp farmers reeling under steep U.S. import duties on Indian aqua exports.
At a roundtable held on Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham State president V. Krishnaiah said that U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to increase tariffs on Indian shrimp exports by 50%—taking the effective duty to 59.65%—had plunged the State's prawn farming sector into crisis, affecting more than four lakh acres of shrimp farms across coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Former A.P. Rythu Sangham president B. Balaram noted that last year's export volume of 7.16 lakh tonnes now faces an additional burden of ₹50,000 per lakh of value, leading to price crashes and losses of up to ₹40,000 per tonne. Farmer leader Y. Keshav Rao criticised the U.S. for imposing far higher duties on India compared to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, or Ecuador, and urged the Centre to ensure that farmers receive pre-tariff prices through procurement by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).
Speakers, including AIDWA State general secretary D. Ramadevi, highlighted the severe impact on women workers employed in shrimp processing units. Tenant Farmers' Association State secretary Y. Haribabu moved a resolution demanding government procurement of all shrimp stocks, recognition of aquaculture as part of the agriculture sector, provision of power subsidies for aqua farmers, regulation of prices to stabilise returns, and expansion of domestic markets to absorb surplus produce.
The meeting resolved to submit memoranda to the Union Agriculture Minister and the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and to intensify the agitation through district-level protests, farmers' conferences, and public demonstrations across the State's aqua farming hubs.
