New technology to cut cost of production sweet water prawn
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Sonia H Moni
A local innovator has invented a new technology believed to cut cost of producing sweet water prawn fries by more than 40 per cent.
Sherajul Islam Khan managing director of Bismilla Hatchery Ltd said, "I have sold a total of 7000 organic sweet water prawn fries at a cost of Tk 7000, whereas the prevailing price of 1000 natural fries is Tk 1700 to 1800 and 1000 hatchery fries is Tk 900 to Tk 1000. It is my first commercial attempt in the market."
"I have been involved in hatchery for the last ten years with a Thai partner and started sweet water prawn fries cultivation on one acre land in Shatkhira as a pilot project in 2008."
He told FE, "I made six ponds where I use 100 per cent natural items to cultivate fries at Debhaga thana under Nowapar in Shatkhira. I got one to two per cent of 18 to 25 days old fries or Post Larvi that inspired me a lot to cultivate it for the next stage."
"In 2009 I changed my technique of fries production like providing supplementary oxygen, food and artificial force to create water flow and the result was harvesting 0.15 million fries from one pond."
Mr Khan said, "This year I have applied the technology in all the six ponds at a cost of Tk 0.2 million and my target is to produce one million fries with 0.15 million fries from each pond."
"I have incurred loss of Tk 0.7 million in the last two years but am hopeful to recover my losses soon. Now I am selling prawn fries at Tk 1.0 per piece and it is my dream is to sell bellow 50 paisa per piece of fry within 2011."
Mr Khan said that he has visited Thailand and Vietnam and attended conference and training programmes.
He said "I have seen in Vietnam that the hatchery owners produce 3000 kg to 3500 kg prawns in 0.5 hectares whereas we locally produce 280 to 350 kg in the same stretch of land."
He said, "I worked on sweet water prawn and black tiger cultivation and found that we can also produce 1000 kg sweet water prawns and 4000 black tigers per hectare land."
"It can create a revolution in our industry if we can provide antibiotic free organic fries at a low cost and will inspire the farmer to cultivate it more."
He expressed hope that this type of fries will not only spread the prawn cultivation but also boost export rate at a high volume as it is 100 per cent organic.
A local innovator has invented a new technology believed to cut cost of producing sweet water prawn fries by more than 40 per cent.
Sherajul Islam Khan managing director of Bismilla Hatchery Ltd said, "I have sold a total of 7000 organic sweet water prawn fries at a cost of Tk 7000, whereas the prevailing price of 1000 natural fries is Tk 1700 to 1800 and 1000 hatchery fries is Tk 900 to Tk 1000. It is my first commercial attempt in the market."
"I have been involved in hatchery for the last ten years with a Thai partner and started sweet water prawn fries cultivation on one acre land in Shatkhira as a pilot project in 2008."
He told FE, "I made six ponds where I use 100 per cent natural items to cultivate fries at Debhaga thana under Nowapar in Shatkhira. I got one to two per cent of 18 to 25 days old fries or Post Larvi that inspired me a lot to cultivate it for the next stage."
"In 2009 I changed my technique of fries production like providing supplementary oxygen, food and artificial force to create water flow and the result was harvesting 0.15 million fries from one pond."
Mr Khan said, "This year I have applied the technology in all the six ponds at a cost of Tk 0.2 million and my target is to produce one million fries with 0.15 million fries from each pond."
"I have incurred loss of Tk 0.7 million in the last two years but am hopeful to recover my losses soon. Now I am selling prawn fries at Tk 1.0 per piece and it is my dream is to sell bellow 50 paisa per piece of fry within 2011."
Mr Khan said that he has visited Thailand and Vietnam and attended conference and training programmes.
He said "I have seen in Vietnam that the hatchery owners produce 3000 kg to 3500 kg prawns in 0.5 hectares whereas we locally produce 280 to 350 kg in the same stretch of land."
He said, "I worked on sweet water prawn and black tiger cultivation and found that we can also produce 1000 kg sweet water prawns and 4000 black tigers per hectare land."
"It can create a revolution in our industry if we can provide antibiotic free organic fries at a low cost and will inspire the farmer to cultivate it more."
He expressed hope that this type of fries will not only spread the prawn cultivation but also boost export rate at a high volume as it is 100 per cent organic.