ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIBA) has launched an android based mobile app-“ Vanamishrimpapp” for the dissemination of technical information among the stakeholders fo shrimp farming sector. Presently this app provides information on the Better Management Practices of Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) farming in the form of “Frequently Asked Questions” and targeted for shrimp farmers and field level extension workers of coastal states. The client user can view the content either topic-wise or through key word search. Further, the users can post their queries through ‘post a query’ option and it will be answered within two working days. Presently P.vannamei is being farmed form very low to oceanic salinities with different levels of technology adoption ranging from extensive; zero water exchange to biofloc based intensive systems and formulated feeds with varying protein contents. Currently P.vannamei shrimp farming is being practiced in about 60,000 hectares in nine coastal states, mostly by small scale farmers, with a production of 3.6 lakh tones leading to an export to the value of Rs.22, 000 crores. Shrimp farming provides livelihood to nearly 1.5 lakh farm families and 2.0 lakh farm workers in the coastal states of the country. The app is being translated in to Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Oriya, and Bengali and Gujarati languages and will be made available. The app will be updated at regular intervals based on the technological developments. The scientific team comprised fo Dr.M.Kumaran, Shri.P.R.Anand, Dr.D.DeboralVimala, Shri.J.Ashok kumar and Dr.K.K.Vijayan has developed the vannamishrimpapp”.
The “vannamishrimpapp” was officially launched by Shri.Baburaj V.Nair, the Chief Human Resources Officer of ‘The Hindu’ newspaper group in the presence of Dr.K.K.Vijayan, Director, CIBA during the occasion of ICA-CIBA “Foundation Day” on 4th April 2017. The launching of “vannamishrimpapp” is being communicated to the stakeholders through social media like mobile Whatsapp, Facebook, groupSMS, official letter, email and websites for wider use. This app has been developed on the FAQs received form Indian shrimp farmers; the same may be applicable to the vannamei farming in south and south –East Asian countries and elsewhere in the tropical belts. This app can be downloaded from the Google play store at free of cost.
Source: Aqua Tech