A study on socio-economic profile of Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) farmers of southern Andhra districts, India

Abstract

In recent years Aquaculture production has grown enormously, Litopenaeus vannamei (white leg shrimp) species have been introduced to many coastal states of India. Andhra Pradesh is the second-largest producer, where approximately 70% of Litopenaeus vannamei consumed globally is farmed. The present study determined the Socio-economic profile of the shrimp farmers of the state was studied using an interview schedule. For this study, data was collected from three southern coastal Andhra districts. It was revealed that most of 51.12% of farmers are middle age, young age is 24.44% and old age is 24.44%, while in unorganized respondents, most of the farmers were 52.22% middle age, old age 38.89% and very poor are young age farmers 8.89%. It is observed that 28.89% in organized respondents have a primary school education, 24.44% were high school education, 23.33% can read and write, 15.56% were graduates and 7.78% were intermediate education level, while in unorganized respondents 22.22% can read and write, 21.11% primary school, 20% illiterates, 17.78% high school education, graduates are 13.33% and intermediate education was 5.56%. and it is clear that in organized respondents 65.56% were nuclear and 34.44% were joint family type, while unorganized respondents nuclear and joint were 77.785 and 22.22% respectively. It was concluded that the forward communities and SC/ST category, both in organized and unorganized farmers shows less interest in vannamei culture when compared with backward communities. Small-scale farmers were unorganized and most of the farmers did not have access to technological innovations and scientific applications.