Vijayawada: Reaffirming the state government’s commitment to the aquaculture sector, Andhra Pradesh Agriculture and Fisheries minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu on Tuesday said there would be no disruption in diesel supply to aqua farmers despite ongoing power interruptions.
The minister said aquaculture continued to play a vital role in the state’s economy, with cultivation spread over nearly 2,34,617 hectares across Andhra Pradesh. Of this, fish farming covers 1,21,829 hectares, while saline water aquaculture extends over 1,12,788 hectares.
Atchannaidu said nearly 1.2 lakh hectares under commercial aqua crops such as shrimp and seabass required uninterrupted 24-hour power supply. However, due to periodic power cuts, farmers were depending heavily on diesel generators to maintain aeration and other critical operations in aqua ponds.
Explaining the demand, he said the state was witnessing an average daily power interruption of around two hours, leading to an estimated diesel requirement of five litres per hectare per day. This translates to about 40 litres per hectare every week and an overall requirement of nearly 5,000 kilolitres per week for 1.2 lakh hectares.
The minister said the government had initiated strict monitoring measures to ensure uninterrupted diesel availability to aqua farmers. District collectors and Joint Collectors had been directed to review the situation continuously and oversee supply arrangements in their respective districts.
He added that fisheries department officials were coordinating at the field level to prevent shortages and ensure timely supply.
Urging farmers not to panic, Atchannaidu assured that the coalition government would continue to stand by the aquaculture community and extend all necessary support for the sector’s sustained growth and stability.
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